A Null-Content
by ThatDarnDrilltank
Summary: Most tales of Halkeginia start the same way, with Louise calling someone to her side from beyond the veil, and little outright changing beyond that. This time, it seems as though something's changed much further back than that event, causing staggering and unforeseen changes. Something made the trip from Earth to Halk under its own power, and it has its own ideas of what to do...
1. Reaction

**A/N** : For the longest time, I've been interested in FoZ fanfics and the shenanigans that can result from the crossover-friendly premise, but after a while I couldn't help but think that maybe there could be a rendition that messes with the core story somewhat without simply mashing two worlds together and without drastically changing the basic premise. Essentially, identify a turning point in the narrative that won't interfere with the Louise side of the story initially, exploit the hell out of it, then see if I can't have some fun exploring things from the perspective of a group of people who have no idea what's going on.

Opening post is just a bit of setup, and the next should come sometime soon.

* * *

Eleanore sits at her desk at the Tristian Research Academy with a sour look on her face, a rare slouching posture with her having her head supported by one arm, a large number of documents in front of her, and a cup of tea to the side of all that. She takes a swig of tea before sitting upright again, and going back over the documents. There is so much for her, as well as every noble who fancies themselves as researchers, to sort through, yet so little to work with. To say that it frustrates her is something of an understatement.

The ones at the forefront are reports given by scouts, soldiers, and fellow researchers, of whom some are her seniors. The ones written by the first two contain details of what could only be described as a bastard cross between an invading army and a mining operation, but not one of the Brimiric nations had come forward to take responsibility for this. That is only the first of many nonsensical details, as this force is too small to be a proper army, too well armed to be anything else, yet the bulk of it consists purely of humanoid golems speculated to be made of a heat-resistant bronze alloy of an unknown composition.

Brief skirmishes between the Tristian military and these small groups never yield so much as a piece of scrap for an earth mage to examine as the golems either have their remains carted off by other, smaller, spider-esque golems in the middle of the fight, fall into a strange portal (which she notes is reported and speculated on in another set of documents,) or as a couple of mages learned the hard way after a seemingly successful battle, self-destruct when the former two events do not occur.

The eldest Valliere knows that golems can be given a set of commands that enable them to act semi-autonomously, but these have reaction times and decision-making capabilities that would indicate that a mage should be nearby pulling the strings, but if there is one... Eleanor shakes her head and digs up a rather important sketch. It's not a matter of if there's someone pulling the strings, but where the puppetmaster hides. Plus, at the very least, they know what to look for. While details have always been a touch scarce, the overall picture has been refined to the point where everyone can agree on what the offending mage looks like.

Dark brown hair that falls to the shoulders, and is drawn back in a ponytail, blue eyes, a perpetually tired appearance. Average height, possibly below average weight, and male. When sighted, he always wears a distinct style of clothing normally reserved for airship captains, but it's just far enough removed from that that there is no doubt in the Valliere's mind that he's either some kind of posh sky pirate or a complete weirdo who overcomplicates things for fun. She could think of no other way to describe it.

Eleanor sighs as she rolls up the sketch and tosses it to the side. It did nothing but remind her that few people have even seen this mage to begin with, let alone been able to confront him. If he weren't borderline enemy number one, she would at least love nothing more than to sit down with the man and ask him about his... everything. The current agreed-upon theory is that is that he must be some kind of earth mage, and given that Albion was the first to record anything about him, he must originate from there.

Part of the reason she even wants to speak to him is because of the reports given by her peers and seniors. While Tristian's military forces try to keep the golems in check, the more scholarly of nobles busy themselves with trying to figure out why this man is even doing what he's doing to begin with. So far, the running theory is that he's targeting Tristian's wind stone supply. More than that, he's actively succeeding in removing it, or at least reducing the amount present in the earth. Given how her project before all this started is to develop more advanced mining techniques to reach the pockets of wind stones that are too deep in the earth to reach as of current and safely extract them, the concept of someone already knowing how to do so could not have intrigued her more.

...She also has to admit to herself that she is deeply annoyed that her project is effectively meaningless. The fact that Tristian does not have access to the 'pirate's' mining techniques yet is irrelevant. The second they apprehend the man and confiscate his equipment, everyone will work toward reverse-engineering it for their own benefit. It leaves an odd feeling in her heart. One irrational part of her wishes to strangle the man for having the audacity to upstage her, another slightly less than morally sound part wouldn't mind capturing him first and locking him up in a personal dungeon and persuade him to part with his secrets so her work can at least be rendered somewhat valid.

The issue is that apparently this one mage, who no one knows about, no one supports, no one has even heard of before the sacking of Sachen-Gotha, and King Wales of Albion making it abundantly clear that he would not authorize any of his nobility to do this (as well as lacking the capacity to even do so) has a small, private army and... The eldest Valliere reaches for another set of sketches. These ones detail what she assumes to be the elusive pirate's 'pet', for lack of a better word. Unlike the mage, this silvery-blue dragon has appeared routinely and repeatedly, and is always ready to help the golems repel another attack. It's reached the point where not only are there an abundance of sketches of this thing, many are in full color and a few even have exact measurements and dimensions, as well as estimations of durability and offensive firepower.

Roughly six to seven feet tall as the shoulders, approximately thirty-four feet from snout to tail tip and a wingspan that is just as wide. Primarily silver in coloration, fades to blue near the phalanxes on the wings, and has a number of crystalline protrusions along its body, especially along its wings, and a particularly large cluster at its tail tip. Bluish scales around its legs and head appear as well, and are speculated to give it its control over wind. Other notable traits include the apparent ability to use light to attack, as well as shocking levels of aerial mobility and equal aptitude for melee and magic. The thing also straddles the line between looking majestic and mildly gaudy. None the less, it's nearly as much of a threat by itself as the entire golem force combined.

So much so, that Karin herself came out of retirement just to help fight the thing and prove that it can at least be hurt. Given how she's managed to lop off the thing's tail at least once, she's accomplished that much and helped keep morale up.

The eldest Valliere curses under her breath. The knowledge that her mother is out there fighting seriously and being, well... cool in a manner other than her general attitude is something she can't help but be annoyed with being unable to see. She would love nothing more than to see her mother fighting for real when there's no reason to be scared of her. Alas, the mother and daughter each have their own roles to play. The mother throws herself at the threat head-on, while the daughter tries to find some way to pin down the mastermind.

The biggest problem being that apparently said 'mastermind' can just show up wherever he wants, whenever he wants, and can vanish as quickly as he arrives. The reports and documents centering around the portals used by the mage, his dragon, and the golems alike all boil down to the same thing: 'We don't know what it is, how it works, or how to stop it.' The only way to learn more about this would be to somehow secure a golem, somehow apprehend the mage, or somehow capture the dragon. Out of all the available options, only the last is even remotely feasible, and even then it can just escape whenever.

The young Valliere finishes her tea and scoots the pile of documents aside. So much hearsay, so much extrapolation, so many assumptions. The only reason Tristian reacted violently in the first place is because the mage just set up shop and started mining as if he owned the country, which admittedly stonewalled any progress toward learning the mage's secrets, techniques, or motivations. Given that he has, so far as anyone can tell, only reduced the amount of a valuable but unreachable and therefore effectively worthless resource and has not focused any of his effort toward conquest or actually striking at population centers, farms, or places of industry, it makes his motivations hard to discern.

All in all, this will be a long, difficult process.

* * *

Many months later...

Eleanor picks up a letter addressed to the Valliere family that she had neglected thus far. Her normally somewhat sour expression softens, and her face becomes unreadable. "Louise..." While Eleanore may regard her youngest sibling as a failure as a mage, she still made a point of reading the letters she sends to her family. Or rather, more specifically, to Cattleya, who then shares said letters with her. There is nearly always a small pang of guilt in her mind when she reads these, as her little sister was essentially ruined by nothing more than the misfortune of being born wrong, and as bratty as she is, Louise is merely emulating the people she looks up to most. In a way, Eleanor knows full well that her youngest sister's troubles are partially her own fault. She flicks open the letter, and notes that the overall tone is much more excited than normal. She sounds happy at least, which is a nice change of pace from the norm.

"So the whelp managed to summon a familiar? Maybe she's not completely hopeless." Eleanor's eyes take in every word and she couldn't help but snicker at part of it. Her youngest sister summoned a human. Any other mage might have summoned something more spectacular, but... "Wait, what?" Her laughter dies in her throat when she reads further. Uses wind and light, seems to have slain that dragon that's been plaguing the land, since he wears an outfit that looks like it's made out of its hide and scales...

She can feel her heart sink. No one had ever succeeded in actually slaying the dragon. Not even when the golems had retreated from Tristian proper. The thing had just vanished into thin air just as they did, and had not appeared since. There were rumors that it has reappeared around the Tristian Magic Academy, but they were discounted shortly afterward as it started appearing in Germania and harassing that barbaric nation in the same way it harassed Tristian. Then suddenly it vanished again, but the golem attacks persisted.

Still, this has to be handled calmly and without panic. She tells herself this as she starts walking toward her mother's library. There was never any evidence that a dangerous dragon with no actual classification could transform into a human form. Her pace quickens, and her stern expression starts to crack. There's no way that her youngest sister may have inadvertently summoned said dangerous dragon while in said human form, and would have no way of knowing what it is she really summoned. Her brisk pace intensifies, and her expression turns to clear worry.

She passes Cattleya, who had never been properly informed of what had been going on in the past. There's no way that the one mastermind system she, and nearly everyone else in Tristian, put stock into could have been wrong as a result of this newfound theory. She breaks into a full, uncharacteristic run as she closes in on the right set of doors. She doesn't even knock as she unceremoniously throws them open, and comes to a stop just in front of her mother with said letter held out for the Dutchess to read.

"What is the matter, Eleanor?" Karin's voice is the same cool, stern tone it nearly always is, and the woman is unperturbed by the way her eldest daughter has just barged into the room. She shifts her sitting position to better read said letter, and focuses on the part her daughter is pointing at. "...I see." Karin rises up from her seat, having come to a similar conclusion as her daughter. "It is too much of a stretch to assume that Louise has indeed summoned that dragon with just this as evidence." She watches her daughter's expression as she takes the letter and re-reads it just to be sure. "Yet it is too great a coincidence to ignore. I will head out and ascertain the true nature of Louise's summon."

"Wait, mother!" Eleanor's voice catches in her throat as her mother looks at her. "If it really is that, wouldn't it be dangerous to Louise for you to approach it?" They both know that Karin had fought the dragon far too often for either to mistake the other.

"...Perhaps. However, I shall make myself clear." Karin closes her eyes and nods her head in acknowledgement. "If the dragon turns out to be hostile, I would sooner place myself in harms way rather than ever risk my daughters. Neither you nor Cattleya possess the combat experience required to face it, and should it attack me I can at the very least assure Louise's safety."

Eleanor bit her lower lip in response, but nods afterward. "I understand, mother."

Karin steps past her, then stops in place. "That being said, if this summon is indeed the dragon from before... Hm." She turns around to face her daughter again. "I do recall you mentioning that apprehending it would go a long way toward reaching that elusive mage." She crosses her arms under her chest as she continues her train of thought. "It's too early in the school year to simply request that Louise be allowed to return early. That would draw suspicion." She turns around and continues walking out of the library as the gears in her mind continue to turn. If the dragon turns out to be hostile, then the cycle would only start back up. If it doesn't recognize her, perhaps there would be a way to protect her youngest daughter and turn an eight month long aggravation into a net positive.


	2. Acquisition

If there was one thing Louise had not expected about her summoning, it was that she would end up with someone so overtly magical in nature that Colbert flat-out warned her to be respectful in dealing with it lest she anger it. Though for all the caution and warnings, her summon doesn't exactly display much in the way of an active interest in decorum and seems downright casual about the whole thing. He's even gone so far as to tell her that there's no reason for him to get annoyed, since he can leave at any time. As a result, the pinkette finds herself under a new form of stress: Trying not to step on the toes of someone whose mannerism and culture she is completely unfamiliar with.

However, she notes that this new stress comes packaged with the stress relief of making every single one of her detractors shut right up, as well as cementing her status as a proper mage. At least, as far as that one spell and having a familiar goes. Her knack for causing every spell she casts to blow up in her face hasn't exactly vanished, but her summon helpfully pointed out that the elements he uses are just ones he can use, not necessarily elements that define his very nature. Thus if the summon is supposed to reflect the mage, then there is simply something she hasn't tried yet that will work.

So far, the young man has been so low-maintenance that if one were to ignore the perpetual smell of a sunny spring day that seems to hang around him wherever he goes, the youngest Valliere might have forgotten that he is even there half the time. Louise raises her head from the letter she's writing to check to see that her summon hadn't disappeared on her, and notes that the silver-haired man is busy lounging in the sunbeams cascading in through the window. A pair of brilliant blue eyes greet hers once he picks up on her looking at him, and he offers a simple wave and a small smile in greeting.

Louise waves back simply to be polite, and goes back to what she's doing. At least until the realization that her summon has decided to just appear right next to her. That causes her to jump out of her seat slightly. "Don't do that!" She snaps on reflex as her summon backsteps slightly with a sheepish look on his face. "Could you at least make some kind of sound when you're approaching me, A... ah..." Though one thing does annoy the pinkette. Namely how her summon's name is so simple, but somehow difficult to pronounce correctly. "Owie?" She prays to the founder mentally that she at least got a little closer to pronouncing it properly this time.

"Aoi. And sorry, I forgot that most people around here aren't used to me moving like that." Aoi, to his credit, takes the whole thing in stride and says his own name and accentuates the pronunciation. He figures if his name gets used enough, people will get used to pronouncing it and he'll be able to move past sounding like a bruise soon. "What're you doing?" He looks to the letter. He can read some of it well enough to tell that she's writing to someone she respects, at least.

"Writing to my big sister Cattleya. She doesn't get to see much of the outside world, so I like to write her at least once every couple of weeks or when something particularly interesting has happened." Louise explains in a matter-of-fact tone. "Plus it's a good way for me to keep my family up to date on what's going on, and that I am doing well."

Aoi simply listens as the pinkette talks, and doesn't respond beyond giving a faint hum of interest.

"..." Louise finishes off the letter by signing her name, and proceeds to fold it and put it into an envelope. A quick address addition later, and she deems it ready to go. "There, that will do. Do you mind accompanying me while I get this sent out?"

The young man simply shrugs in response. "I don't mind. I kinda want to see more of this place anyway."

"Thank you. Now, if you could follow me..." The two then depart from the room.

* * *

"That's a lot of critters running around. I guess they're all owned by mages?" The human looks around as he floats alongside Louise with his hands in his pockets, taking up a position to the left and slightly behind her. Nearly every familiar spares him at least a glance in turn, and many appear to be at least somewhat nervous about him. A certain mole owned by a certain ineffectual smooth-talker is staring, however.

"Yes. The Springtime summoning ritual is a rite of passage that aspiring young mages undertake to determine their elemental affinity, which lets the school determine what courses to put them in to better aid their development." Louise recites the basic reasoning for the ritual with a practiced ease. Aoi doesn't find it suspicious, but anyone who managed to catch wind of her words at any point earlier that day would have been surprised at how different she sounds than normal. The usual short-tempered stressed out tone is simply absent.

"...Huh. I wonder what summoning me says about you, then." Aoi spins slowly as he thinks, taking in the sights with a casual air about him. "Nothing bad, I mean." He speaks to Louise only when he can make eye contact with her. "It's just that out of all the people... You could have picked up... You got me." He stops after the third rotation and looks Louise in the eyes. "I'm not one to brag, but Iam pretty powerful. Just not exactly the first guy you'd turn to for finesse. Or even the third guy."

Louise's eye twitches. His downright casual use of power is both a constant reminder to others that she isn't a failure, yet at the same time irks her because she can't even hope to do the same. Yet. She shakes her head slightly to dismiss the thought. She summoned him, surely things have to start improving. "Come to think of it, why do you float and fly everywhere?" She shifts to a related yet new topic for her own sake.

Aoi places his feet on solid ground and starts walking normally. "It's practice!" He responds with a smile, and gestures with a hand to emphasize. "Someone I admire gave me some advice on making better use of what I've got. That person told me to use my powers as much as possible, even if the uses are hilariously mundane. The more you use it, the more comfortable you get with it. Then things like finesse come naturally because you know exactly what and how much to use in any given situation."

The pinkette could only really stare at her summon in response. There's nothing malicious about his proclamation, just a level of honest enthusiasm that she hasn't seen in ages. There's no drive to show off either, or at least if there is, it's a side-perk and not the primary focus. "Don't you ever get tired using your willpower non-stop like that?"

The summon simply shrugs. "Nah. I generate a lot, so using some over the course of the day is no big deal."

Your definition of 'some' is starting to get ridiculous. Louise thought to herself as she kept walking. The two are close to the tower of wind, where the school's messenger pigeons are kept, when the pinkette hears someone calling out to their familiar. That sounds like... She turns to look at the person in question. Guiche. Wonderful. A brief gust of wind, a sound thump, and a yelp of surprise alert her to the mole of unusual size that appears to have taken a liking to her own summon. "Guiche! Get your filthy mole off my summon!"

"Belldandy is not filthy, Zero!" The mage in question snipes back with a voice filled with pomp and narcissism. "She is a rare jewel in a sea of unwashed familiars! Though I will profess that... Wait, be careful with her!" Guiche whips around so to face Aoi so quickly that one think the earth mage would have fallen over.

To his credit, the summon had somehow picked up the mole around its waist and is holding it away from him as it flails its arms at him and tries to sniff his face. Somehow, his very presence exudes a sense of bemusement.

"My apologies, normally Belldandy does not simply rush people like that. She is an avid treasure hunter and never passes up an opportunity to seek out precious stones and metals, but she will refrain if I tell her not to." Guiche first apologizes to Louise's summon, then reaches around his mole and scratches her under the chin, which gradually lets it calm down. "Now, I know that your intuition is never wrong, my dear Belldandy, but you simply cannot just tackle someone like that!"

Aoi then promptly drops the mole and shifts back a few paces in the span of a second to put some distance between himself and the mole, and proceeds to eye it warily.

"Considering he is my summon, I would think that decorum would dictate that you apologize to me as well." Louise looks at the earth mage with a cross expression.

"This poor man may be your summon, Louise, but he is not your familiar!" Guiche scoffs at the pinkette, which only serves to sour her mood further. "Unless, of course, you have somehow convinced him to allow you to complete the ritual, and given his apprehension at being bound to such a thorny rose bush initially I doubt you have had much more success in the following hours!"

Aoi simply rolls his eyes and sweeps Louise up into a bridal carry before turning on the spot and kicking off the ground just hard enough to make a fairly impressive leap into the air and up the tower's side, terminating the conversation before the pinkette could even get a retort in. Each time he starts to lose altitude, he kicks off something to gain yet more height until he reaches the open window that allows the pigeons to fly out. "W-wh-what is the meaning of this?!" Louise manages to regain her composure well enough to stammer out a question in response to the sudden move. "You can't even get in through here!"

"No good was going to come of that conversation." Replies her summon simply. "Plus his face looks kinda punchable. At the rate he was going I probably would have shut him up myself." He looks down and waits until the blond earth mage has moved off before somehow procuring a crystal in his hand and firing it in through the window. A gale-like portal opens up where it lands, and another one opens up directly behind him. It only remains open for a moment, but once it closes the two are inside the tower proper.

Louise simply stares at her summon in shock. She has no words for this.

"Practice." Aoi replies simply. "Don't forget you've got that letter to send too."

* * *

"Honestly… I cannot fathom why that man insists on defending her when not even a brilliant radiance like myself can convince her to bloom fully." Guiche simply shakes his head in response to Aoi's course of action, and leads his mole away. "Come, Belldandy, let us depart." Belldandy simply looks up one last time and spots a faint sparkle, then follows her master in a forlorn way.

* * *

Tabitha couldn't help but feel that something's off, and makes a decidedly rare move to look up from her book and in the direction of said disturbance, and promptly spots the portal just as it closes. It's enough to make her raise her eyebrows, though Sylphid promptly nudges her and breaks her train of thought. The wind mage lightly smacks her wind dragon with her staff, who in turn shakes her head and resumes looking at the mage with hopeful eyes. "Maybe." Is all she says. She then goes back to her book and turns the page, enjoying the surreal story of hopes and dreams contained within.

* * *

Late that day...

"Is that what you meant when you said you could leave at any time?" Louise asks as she sits down at her desk with a surprisingly swift response letter. From her mother. She opens up said letter and begins to read.

"Pretty much. I can pretty much go wherever if I know where I'm going." Aoi leans back against the wall, completely unconcerned by any of this. "And I can take people with me if I'm so inclined."

Louise pursed her lips in thought as she finished reading the letter. It's more like a note, however, as it simply states that her mother will come to visit tomorrow, as she is curious about her familiar. "...Odd. Why would mother want to come all the way out here herself just for that?" A deluge of emotions surge about inside the pinkette. Joy, apprehension, fear, questioning. These and many more plague her thoughts as she ponders why her mother is acting so directly.

"I am pretty bizarre. Maybe she just wants to see what I am so she can sleep easy with me around you?" Aoi shrugs as he offers his opinion.

"Yes, you are bizarre, but you're perfectly safe! You haven't hurt me, or anyone else!" Louise starts to get excited for multiple reasons, but it's hard to tell precisely what she's feeling at that exact moment.

"Yeah, but a mother's instinct is pretty strong, I think. She probably won't buy it until she's interrogated me or something." Louise's summon rolls his eyes and stands back up. "Anyway, that aside, do you want me to stick around while you sleep? I don't need to sleep myself, and I'm not sure how comfortable you'd be with me watching you all night."

The pinkette had to stop and think for a moment. While she wouldn't necessarily mind having him stay, he raised an interesting point. "If you must wander, stay nearby, and be sure to wake me at sunrise." Though even she couldn't miss that her summon had grown more tense for some reason. Maybe it's in apprehension of tomorrow? Her mother may be cold at times, but not needlessly cruel. Things will go well enough, she feels. He's worrying needlessly.


	3. Concern

Cattleya notes that her big sister Eleanor doesn't panic often. She never really did, at least outwardly, though the middle sister of the three Vallieres can easily tell when a part of her family is in distress. There's always some tell-tale sign that she's learned to pick up on, but in this case Eleanor was outwardly displaying it as clear as day. That could only mean one or two things. Part of her family is in danger, or one of her research experiments blew up in her face. Of the two, the lack of dust and soot on the eldest Valliere's person disqualified the latter. "Big sister, what is the matter?" Her voice breaks Eleanor out of her line of thought.

"Cattleya?" It takes the eldest daughter a moment to recognize who is there, at which point she regains her usual composure. She contemplates how to go about this since she doesn't want to worry her younger sister, but knows full well that said sister is too perceptive to be fooled by a half-baked answer. "There is a distinct possibility that the man Louise has summoned is dangerous, so mother is heading out to determine whether he is or not." She considered giving out less information than that, but decided against it since she had read the letter first.

The middle daughter looks somewhat confused by that. "Is the Springtime Summoning Ritual not proven to be a safe method of securing a familiar?" She didn't have all the details, but Cattleya is certain that the Tristian Magic Academy would not allow its students to perform the ritual if there was a major chance of summoning something that would bring harm to one of their students. If not out of a sense of decency, then out of a sense of covering their bases so noble families can't tear them a new one in court over requiring it.

Eleanor gives a worried sigh in response. "It is safe, but this time may very well be an exception. The abilities Louise described as well as his general appearance leads me to believe that he may very well be the humanoid form of a powerful dragon that has been attacking remote areas of Tristian for quite some time. Considering that we never discerned its motives proper, and that its attacks were quite brutal to the point where mother felt the need to step in..."

Cattleya hums to herself in thought for a moment. "Mother never succeeded in slaying it, I take it?"

"No, it always slipped away before she could finish it off when she did get the upper hand. She described the portal it used to get away as a pool of light, one that always closed before she could reach it, even if she were right on top of it when it escaped." Eleanor shakes her head as she says that. "Then it just plain vanished one day, and was last seen attacking Germanian lands before it vanished from there as well. We didn't think anything of it precisely because it keeps using portals to escape. The Germanians who witnessed the event simply thought it was retreating, just as it did when attacking Tristian." She looks to the side out of embarrassment. "It never even occurred to us that someone might have been summoning it. If it lead to the mage it appears to be tied to that would be one thing, but Louise?"

"...Still, if Louise summoned it and was in immediate danger, I doubt she would be so enthusiastic about it." Cattleya crosses her arms under her chest, both understanding her family's worry yet at the same time wondering if throwing their mother at the problem is really the correct solution. "Would it not be better to simply ask Louise to return here? I am certain we could come up with a convincing excuse to allow her to leave school early for a day or two. I have no doubt about mother's combat abilities, but diplomacy-wise..." She trails off, and both sisters remember that while she has improved politically she is still, and most likely always will be, too terrifying to function as an ambassador.

Eleanor bit her lip in response again. "We dismissed the idea, we didn't want to worry Louise needlessly."

"And sending mother will not?" Cattleya raises her point with one eyebrow raised as she wonders whether or not her big sister and her mother actually stopped to consider what it is they're doing. "If she and her summon were called here instead, we would have the home field advantage and a more welcoming environment for them both."

"Mother seems to think that it will devolve into a fight, thus she shouldn't place us in harm's way when it does." Eleanor mentally concedes that her sister has a point in theory, in reality the Heavy Wind and the dragon have clashed so often that a violent confrontation is far more likely than a peaceful one.

Cattleya simply stares in response. It's the sort of stare she uses to get her pets to heel when they've misbehaved, a gaze that exudes such horrible pressure that if one were to compare that of the soft, kindhearted, sickly girl, and the cold, hardened legend, one would be able to discern no difference between them. Considering her vast collection of exotic pets, such a commanding presence is a necessity, though one that has applications outside of that field as well. Such as silently letting her sisters know when they have been unbelievably foolish in her mind.

"Cattleya, mother is acting in Louise's best interests. We have to help keep her safe." As much as Eleanor would like to say such a stare doesn't bother her, she can't quite meet it head-on either.

"But Louise won't be happy if we strip away the one thing that's gone right for her." The middle sister keeps her gaze steady, turning the conversation into a clash of wills. Fortunately for her, she knows how to win such engagements. "Additionally, you and mother merely suspect that this man is dangerous."

"If we do not, the crown surely will! If this man is who we think it is, the nobility won't rest until they have his head served to them on a golden platter! If Louise is found to be knowingly harboring him, they'll likely put her on trial as well!" Eleanor's composure breaks as she grabs her sister's shoulders and speaks desperately. "I'm not trying to say that she shouldn't be happy, I'm trying to say that I don't want to watch my youngest sister get executed over a freak accident!"

Cattleya pulls her sister into a hug and strokes her back. "I understand, big sister. Yet if we take this away from her, will she not die all the same? That man is her spark of hope. If he's taken away haphazardly, Louise may be unable to face her future. Worse still, our doing so will likely come off as us saying that she is not allowed to be happy, or to have hope."

"Th-there's still the Viscount, isn't there?" Eleanor sounds close to tears, and is shaking slightly. "That dragon can't be the only one..."

Cattleya smiles sadly and shakes her head. "We both know that Wardes is a wonderful man, but it's not the same. He can give Louise a home, but not the hope of becoming a proper mage."

"Founder damn it... Why does this keep happening? First you get sick and no one can cure you, then Louise can't cast any magic, and the one spell that does go right for her puts her in a position where she'll get hurt no matter what happens!" The eldest sister's voice cracks as she speaks, and she simply can't find it in herself to care about composure at this point. Maybe the servants heard her, but she doesn't care. Even her mother could walk right up to her and stare sternly, and she wouldn't care.

"Big sister... Did anyone manage to ever ask the dragon why it did what it did?"

"...No one was ever able to."

"Because they could not? Or because they did not try?"

Eleanor pulls away from her sister slightly. Oh no. "Cattleya, you're not seriously considering...?"

Cattleya simply smiles serenely. "Eleanor, let's take a day trip into the city."

The eldest sister somehow manages to look cross anyway. "Mother will never buy that excuse."

"She doesn't have to."

Eleanor facepalms as her sister heads back to her room to prepare for a very impromptu trip. "Founder, protect my foolish sister..."


	4. Inquiry

Aoi stands atop the pointed roof of the tower in which Louise sleeps, keeping a weather eye out for anyone or anything that might be coming by. His summoner seems to be a nice enough girl, but there is a striking resemblance between her and the older woman who kept giving him so many problems. Like severing varying lengths of his tail. Multiple times. Granted, it's not much more than an inconvenience besides tumbling around like an idiot as the sudden loss of mass unbalances him, but it's enough to let him know that he can't simply ignore her. His eyes flick up as he catches sight of a familiar griffin, and then the man atop it. "Wardes! I didn't expect you to just show up like this."

"I did not expect to come here. However, Sir Blake requested that I locate you." The griffin doesn't seem perturbed by the slanted landing spot, and neither does the viscount. He must have had to do this before more than once.

Aoi cringes in response. "I kinda did just up and vanish smack in the middle of dealing with the Fire Storm, didn't I? It wasn't on purpose though."

"We all know. When I explained what the mirror that swallowed you up was, Sir Blake was beside himself with worry over your safety."

"He doesn't have to. It'd take a lot to actually put me down for good." The dragon places a hand on his chest and practically beams as he says that.

"He still values you as a member of his family, just as the surviving members of the Sachen-Gotha family do." Wardes' expression looks a touch more stern in response.

Aoi cringes a bit harder for a moment. "Okay, okay, I get it. I should have called in first chance I got, but this place is packed with people at any given moment and Louise likes to stay in line of sight of me if possible."

"I cannot complain if you are watching over my fiancee. The girl has immense potential, and these... plebeians cannot discern or appreciate her true value." The Viscount spits out the word, showing an obvious distaste for those who have mocked her. "And yes, alerting us sooner would have been preferable, but seeing where you have ended up I am certain the others will understand."

Then a third person decided to make herself known. "Kind of like how I'm the only one who'd 'understand' why two grown men are acting like a pair of shady co-conspirators on a rooftop in broad moonlight?" She seems to have simply walked straight up the tower wall rather than use a more conventional method. "You two are lucky that it's me out here tonight. I know you're not bothered by injury, Aoi, but we don't need a repeat of the Archambault incident."

"Oh, Matilda. ...What're you even doing here? Aside from being on patrol, I mean. I thought you didn't want to come back here." Aoi spins around to look at the young woman. It's hard to mistake the long green hair or casual attitude.

"It's mostly because Tiffi's worried about Charlotte. ...And I am too, honestly." Matilda crosses her arms and leans forward a bit to stand upright. "We both know that Joseph isn't impotent like King Wales, that one elf isn't all he has, and as much as he might play the role of the fool I doubt he's going to just up and let this one slide."

Wardes simply sighs in an exasperated manner. "At the rate Sir Blake is going, we won't have any ground to go to by the time he's done."

"I don't care. We're all outcasts and in this together." The transmuter responds before looking back to the summon. "Anyway, Blake's managing to hold his own without you. I'm helping him with Maxwell, and it should be ready to deploy within the month."

"That's good to hear. If I'm not there, we need something imposing to help keep their morale down so they won't come after us as often." Aoi rocks back and forth on his heels slightly with his eyes closed. "I don't like hurting or killing people, and Blake doesn't either. Even if he's gotten more cautious."

"You and Sir Blake are two of the biggest bleeding hearts I've ever known. It makes the whole situation almost hilariously ironic." As much as Wardes may hold the two in high regard, the simple fact of the matter is that he feels that both are too soft for their own good, and between the two, only Aoi could afford to be. "I am glad to see that we are on schedule, none the less."

"Sort of. After the whole 'rescue Charlotte' thing, we lost some time having to recuperate and shift focus to Tristian. Gallia still out-mans and out-guns us by too great a margin. Plus, you told us that Romalia is... what, almost directly behind them? Next time we come knocking we'll probably have to deal with both of them." The summon turns to Wales for confirmation.

"I would anticipate it, but do not treat it as a certainty. The Pope is rumored to be acutely aware of what goes on with the Brimiric nations on a large scale. If he figures out what we're really doing, he may only put up a token fight once we need to move on Romalia." Wardes shakes his head, then gives his advice.

"Or he might just turn around and rally the nations against us. Remember, Aoi and Blake are pretty much terrorists at this point." Matilda looks to Wardes as she offers her less optimistic view. "It's possible he'd look to take all their stuff and make examples of them to placate the populace before handing the machinery off to the royal academies to study."

Aoi then twirls his ponytail around his finger in a nervous display. "Yeah... that's always fun. Speaking of which, Louise's mother wouldn't happen to be Karin the Heavy Wind, would it, Viscount?"

Wardes' expression turns grave. "She is. Judging from your body language, you presume that she will be arriving here soon to ensure her daughter's safety."

"Not 'presume', Viscount, I know she's coming. Louise wrote about me to her big sister and got a letter back from her mother late the same day." Aoi continues rocking on his feet.

Matilda simply facepalms. "And now I have another reason to stay here. To keep an eye out for you, you idiot."

"The summoning ritual simply plucks the most well-suited summon from wherever they may be and places it before the mage. There is nothing any of us could have done to predict or prevent this event, Ms. Sachen-Gotha." Wardes comes to the summon's defense readily enough. "All we can do is react in a manner that can turn this to our advantage."

"How? Every time she's come after me it's been with her wand blazing! Metaphorically and literally!" The summon ceases standing altogether and floats in midair so that he doesn't fall.

"Just to add to that, even if she's not out to kill him outright, she's duty-bound to apprehend him. Or what's left of him." The transmuter chimes in immediately afterward. "Plus, you can't jump in to defend him without giving yourself away, Viscount. Your position is only marginally less perilous than his."

"Indeed, I cannot. However, there may be no need. If the Heavy Wind apprehends him, then he will most likely be tried. If the court is willing to listen it may be possible to explain what it is we are doing without placing anyone at great risk. Aoi can defend himself and most likely overpower anyone present in the case where the nobility on hand is simply out for blood." Wardes remains calm while presenting his thoughts.

"It still feels like you're being too generous with these people, Viscount." Matilda sighs after saying that. "It's the same deal. Blake has machines that will benefit all of Halkeginia and has conveniently been painted an enemy. No one here will care about him or his reasoning. They'll tear him apart and steal everything for their own use if they can."

"I am not being overly generous, I am simply suggesting a way to gauge whether or not we should even attempt diplomacy."

Aoi stands back down and leans back in thought. "Depends on what happens, I guess. I hate politics, too much skullduggery for my tastes, but I guess I could try talking to them." He then looks around. "We should probably adjourn this little impromptu meeting. People'll probably get suspicious if we stay here for too long."

"And whose fault is that, Mr. Dramatic?" Matilda pokes Aoi's chest teasingly before walking off. "Good night, Aoi, Viscount."

"Indeed. I should head back. Farewell, Ms. Sachen-Gotha, Great Spirit of Wind." Wardes then hops atop his griffin and flies away.

Aoi lets out a breath he was holding for most of that. "...Okay, now how do I deal with the murderhobo in the meantime?"


	5. Polite Discussion

Eleanor could not have been less amused by any of this. Cattleya has essentially dragged her into defying their mother to go meet someone who has a very high chance of being a violent criminal just for the sake of being able to talk to them. With mother present in the same area no doubt, and her having a decidedly less than understanding view of why her two daughters who aren't supposed to be present are there. Especially Cattleya, who really shouldn't be traveling that much at all to begin with. She also couldn't help but bring along a few animals as well, and as a result they had to take one of the larger carriages.

They may as well have brought a parade with them just for the sake of aggravating their mother even more.

"I suppose there's absolutely no convincing you to go back home, is there." Eleanor says in a resigned tone as she scratches a tiger's head.

"Absolutely not." Cattleya's response couldn't have been more predictable. The raven perching on her shoulder didn't really help matters any.

The eldest Valliere daughter looks out the window, watching the city of Tristian pass by as the carriage makes a slightly length but necessary detour. At the very least, the middle daughter had the common sense to spend a little time there so as to give some plausible deniability to the idea that this spontaneous visit is fueled by a matter of convenience and not, say, a deliberate and pointed move to put herself in danger because of information that she by all means probably shouldn't have had access to.

Eleanor leans against the tiger and ponders what her obituary will consist of.

"Mother isn't going to literally kill us, big sister." Cattleya shifts the raven into her lap as she speaks, her tone suggesting that she finds her sister's reaction somewhat silly.

"She won't literally kill _you_ , Cattleya. Everyone in our family knows what you get like once you've made up your mind. It'd be like getting mad at that swan of yours for mauling someone it doesn't know who tried to pet it anyway, after you warning them not to." The eldest daughter at least finds solace in that the tiger is warm, soft, and like everything else Cattleya has that's adjusted to her family, quite friendly.

The middle sister brings a hand to her mouth and giggles into it. "Oh my, am I now on the same level as swan maulings? How dreadful."

"I have more colorful examples, but my sense of decorum hasn't shattered completely." Eleanor responds dryly.

"Like that one?" Cattleya offers innocently enough. "The one about a bear-"

"Absolutely not! I will not compare my sister to... to... _that_!" Eleanor would have lept up, but apparently her shifting position was enough of an invitation for the tiger to exercise its feline nature of being inconvenient by all but teleporting itself into her lap the second it became available.

Cattleya looks out the window with an amused expression. It isn't really fair of her to do so, but her sister is so high-strung that she's easy to tease. She notes that they're out of the city by this point, and well on their way to the Tristian Magic Academy. "On a related note, I wonder if that dragon is a Rhyme Dragon. I wouldn't mind adding one to my collection one day."

The tiger on Eleanor's lap simply yawns before settling down, all but saying 'here we go again' in its own cat-like way.

The young woman herself stares at her sister as if she's gone mad. "No, absolutely not. It's one thing to go talk to this man, it's another to rope him into being one of your pets!"

Cattleya cups one of her cheeks in a free hand as the raven snuggles in, and adopts an almost dreamy tone. "But I could finally have a man I could-"

"Again, absolutely not!" Eleanor's face has flushed bright red in response. "I swear, I never should have lent you those romance novels. Your sense of humor has only dived headfirst into the gutter since."

The middle sister simply laughs openly before going into a brief coughing fit. She makes a dismissive gesture with her hand when Eleanor tries to get up to help her, and somehow uncorks and potion and forces herself to down it. The fit subsides after that. "...Good thing I have about twenty of those on hand." She looks genuinely embarrassed this time.

Eleanor's eye twitches as she looks at her sister. "Come to think of it, why, pray tell, did you not bring one of our hired water mages along?!"

Cattleya looks genuinely apologetic in response. "Because I would not be able to talk to my sister properly if there is someone else here aside from the two of us, and my pets."

The eldest sister all but deflates completely, her eyes closing, her body slouching forward somewhat, and her sighing. She knows her younger sister is absolutely correct. "I suppose that would be on me, wouldn't it..."

Then the middle sister takes on a brighter, more mischievous expression. "Perhaps you simply need some quality time with a dashing young man yourself~"

Eleanor, to her credit, merely glares in response.

"Perhaps the mage described in those documents you've been pouring over? If the sketches aren't wrong he looks nice enough, and his affinity and interests probably match yours." Cattleya smiles widely as she continues.

"Will you _stop_ that?!" Eleanor's voice raises by a fair bit, which surprisingly enough didn't actually bother any of her sister's pets beyond getting a dismissive ear flick from the tiger. "I'm engaged to a wonderful man already, and what you're suggesting is absolutely insane!"

"...I was under the impression that the young duke had called it off." Cattleya looks genuinely confused, and is mentally bracing herself for whatever comes next. Her sister's love life is nothing short of a minefield where every move poses a risk of setting her off when it's not going well.

Eleanor's expression flips from incredulous, to wrathful, before settling on upset as she tears up for the second day in a row. "I don't know what I did wroooooooong...!" Cattleya's pet python plucks a handkerchief from its master's pocket, and slides along a branch installed just under the roof of the carriage before reaching down to present it to the eldest sister, who promptly started sobbing into it. Meanwhile, the tiger occupying the eldest sister's lap started purring to try and help her feel better.

It certainly says a lot that even Cattleya's pets know how to help calm the eldest sister back down.

The middle sister allows her big sister a chance to cry and calm down as she looks out the side of the carriage again. The scenery is starting to match what she recalls the area immediately around the magic academy to be, so it won't be much longer before they have to... "Eh? Jeanne? What is it?" The raven starts cawing and shaking in her lap as it stares in the direction of the Academy. "There's something going on there?" The bird covers her head with her wing and refuses to move. "Oh dear... If Jeanne is getting scared..."

A rather impressive honk resounds inside the carriage as Eleanor manages to regain something resembling composure, and she glares daggers at her sister for bringing her love life up before speaking again. "Mother left on her manticore, Cattleya. There was no way we would have been able to beat her here unless we left before she even considered going." She folds up the used handkerchief and sets it to the side. "And even then, we would have had to have been here before she left. You know how fast she is."

Cattleya looks down at her raven while petting it while looking defeated. Her plan essentially hinged on things not turning violent before she got there, but it was a long shot.

"We're still going to try, aren't we?" Asks the eldest daughter.

"For Louise's sake, yes."

* * *

An entire courtyard had to be cleared out and cordoned off as Karin the Heavy Wind and Aoi tore into each other. Classes were all but cancelled for the day since not a single student could actually concentrate on their lessons or studies with a living legend and Louise's summon fighting each other, oftentimes right outside the windows of the various towers. Wicked, invisible blades of wind tore the ground and stonework asunder, countless shards of light embedded themselves in everything they struck. Both sides appear to be trying their hardest to kill each other.

Not even the teachers are immune to this, as a good number are simply trying to assess the damage being done while others are trying to keep their students safe. Colbert in particular found himself running to the Headmaster's office, and threw open the doors. "Osmond!"

"I am aware of what's going on, Colby. I was under the impression that the Heavy Wind knew more about restraint than this." To his credit, the old man is the image of a calm, collected old wizard as he observes the fight outside from a scrying device. "Aoi, on the other hand... he fights with no restraint at all. He's already used up more willpower in the last five minutes than most mages will ever accumulate through their entire lives."

"Well, Detect Magic did turn up some very unusual results." Colbert joins Osmond in observing the battle. "I suppose the Bell of Sleep won't do any good here, will it?"

"I suspect that it will only succeed at disabling the Heavy Wind. I may not know precisely what it is, Aoi's very nature may leave him resistant or immune to its effects." Osmond taps the table lightly and rhythmically to aid his thought process as he watches the summon fire a rather substantial laser from his mouth. "...The fighting style is altered, but he does behave much like a dragon in combat. Very little finesse, and is prone to attempting to simply overpower the opponent."

Colbert watches as Karin attempts another deadly precise wind bullet, and the nearly invisible projectile manages to hit home, sending the dragon reeling. It wasn't the only one that did, as another three manage to strike in the same instant. "At least the Heavy Wind is fighting intelligently. She's been laying delayed traps around the area." The professor frowns upon seeing the three rather gaping wounds close up gradually. "Unfortunately, I haven't seen anything in any of the books I've studied so far that match what he can do. The transformation ability makes me think he's a Rhyme Dragon, but he's using an entirely wrong set of elements for it. Plus, he said they don't define his very being."

"Rhyme Dragons can manipulate the wind and breathe fire, Colby. This one may have decided to emphasize the former rather than the latter." Osmond takes a sip of tea. From his vantage point, he can see the summon rear his head back and roar, with his inhuman voice producing expanding black circles that fade a good distance away from him. Not a single attack was able to breach the waves, and Karin had to distance herself from them. "It's a shame that information about Rhyme Dragons is so scarce."

"It's an even bigger one that Aoi wasn't willing to complete the contract with Louise. I'd be willing to wager that she would have produced some kind of hint to her true talent if he had." Granted, the fire mage knew the odds of actually contracting were slim at the time. "At this point the only thing I can think of is that Louise may have an affinity for the Void, but there's no proof of it." Another massive beam of light ripped across the courtyard while Karin narrowly grazed it. Her iron mask is showing signs of damage, as are parts of her armor. Yet she herself does not appear to be injured.

Osmond nods sagely in response. "Perhaps it is for the best if her talent remains undiscovered. If your intuition is correct, Colby, the war-hungry nobility will not rest until they have her at their disposal. We both know that they will use her up and throw her away if they do." He watched as Karin was unable to evade the follow-up attack, a hailstorm of light needles that shot right through her. "...Interesting. I think Aoi may be fighting non-lethally. That by all means should have ended her." Yet she gets back up, albeit more slowly than the last two times.

"...So to ask the obvious question, is there anything the faculty should be doing about this?" Colbert asks with a somewhat worried tone. Osmond's complete lack of concern over the issue calms him somewhat, but not completely given the situation.

Osmond closes his eyes. "Let the fight play out, and do not risk yourselves trying to interfere. Off the top of my head, there are perhaps three or four mages in this school who have any chance of fighting on semi-even ground with the Heavy Wind, but that is without the addition of Aoi. His fighting style is too swift for conventional methods." He looks at the fire mage again. "Do as you have been doing, Colby. Assess the damage, ensure the students are out of harm's way, and ready the infirmary in case something goes wrong."

"Yes, Osmond." With that, Colbert leaves the room, leaving the headmaster alone once more.

"Lady luck can be a fickle mistress indeed." Osmond says to himself as the next round of near-invisible and azure wind spells clash and cancel each other out.


	6. Mutual Frustration

If Karin had to describe the situation she's found herself in, she probably couldn't with words alone. Aggravation of a job left undone, an enemy yet to be slain. Anger at herself for being unable to finish the job the first time, and at her enemy for drawing her daughter into all of this. Joy at finding an opponent who can actually hold his own against her. Then there is a mixed feeling in her mind in regards to what will happen after this. Part of her wishes it would not, for there are few who can fight her on this level. She is still a warrior at heart, even if she knows how to temper it for the sake of his family. Part of her wishes to end it now, so that her family will not have to suffer this monster again.

The dragon flings itself toward her and uses a heavily telegraphed overhead swing, which the Heavy Wind dashes under. Considering that the arm used to make the attack is also wreathed in wind that exploded outward the second it impacted the ground, she felt that she made the right call. Another quick Wind Shard ricocheted off the ground and into the dragon's gut throws off his follow-up, but he simply starts firings blasts of wind and light from both his arms, his legs, and his mouth. Part of her expected more blasts of light to be fired from the dragon's eyes, but she dismisses the idea as a silly fantasy. Instead she gets her legs back under her, pivots around, and starts dashing to the side of the attack to evade the bulk of it. A couple more quick flicks of her wand and a few more near-invisible traps are set. Each one could function as a wall, an attack, or a repellent at her command, a technique she's been using liberally up until now.

Partially because the dragon's been able to spot and destroy them more readily in the last few minutes, partially because the Heavy Wind is busy having to ration her willpower to a truly stressful degree. Her mind is constantly tracking her own movements, her enemy's, his attacks, as well as prepping her own spells in an attempt to fight back against it. The problem is that this dragon seems to be a floating fortress crammed into the body of a five foot nine human in this form. Logically, it makes enough sense. All that mass has to go somewhere.

In reality, it's starting to annoy her to no end.

At the very least he seems to be recovering more slowly than before. The damage she's dealing appears to be sticking a little better than at the start.

The problem is that despite all her tricks, precision, and evasion, she's still taking damage of her own. Her armor is actually coming loose in places from some rather impressive physical blows. Her mask, which is normally nigh-unbreakable, is cracking. Her body is similarly hurting from attacks whose nature she simply doesn't understand. Her willpower reserves are running dangerously low. Her preferred tactic of ending a battle before it even really starts flat-out failed, though at the very least it did some damage. She kicks off the ground off on of her own traps to avoid yet another barrage of lasers. A more potent Wind Blade crashes down on her enemy, though she clicks her tongue in annoyance when she sees that she only succeeded in partially cutting her opponent's arm off at the shoulder. She had meant to cleave the fool clean in half.

She'll just have to settle for watching it taking so long to heal that it's unlikely that her enemy will get any more use out of it this time. Unfortunately that was just one out of the potential five business ends she has to worry about, and she doubts he'll fall for that trick twice.

Then she catches sight of something that she never wanted to see here at this point in time.

Cattleya and Eleanor, having clearly followed her despite her orders not to.

Louise, at the very least, is being protected by her manticore, but those two...!

-

The youngest Valliere is busy having something just shy of a heart attack over what's been going on so far. Her mother had greeted her summon cordially and requested a chance to speak with him since Louise herself had class to attend to at the time. She really should have refused to leave her familiar's... no, her summon's side. She still hasn't contracted with him, and at this rate she never will!

Watching her summon smash her mother clear across the courtyard during the latter's brief moment of distraction didn't help matters either, since she has no idea who to root for. It's a fight where as far as she's concerned, no one wins.

Then it occurs to her. Why _did_ her mother glance off in that direction like that?

Her big sisters. She waves them over while simultaneously wondering how they managed to get here so fast.

-

Cattleya at least had the foresight to send her pet crow off to locate a healer, Eleanor notes. _Unfortunately, it looks like we're already far too late._ Secretly, the eldest daughter wishes that this could have been resolved without anyone coming to blows. Then she spots her youngest sister, and joins Cattleya in rushing to her. Even if there's nothing they can really do to help her summon, they can at least be there for their sister.

"M-mother started attacking Aoi and I have no idea why...!" To the eldest daughter's _slight_ annoyance Louise all but lept into Cattleya's arms for comfort instead of hers.

Eleanor cast a glance at the damaged summon and couldn't help but wonder why the red blood he's bleeding is turning silver in the light. However, any further observations were denied as Karin used her own wind-assisted dropkick to return the favor. The eldest daughter cringes when she watches a part of a tower crumble inward from the impact of the summon hitting it. _It must have been weakened beforehand._ She thinks to herself. There's no way her mother is _that_ powerful. "It's because this Aoi fellow is a known criminal. All of the major Tristanian noble families are clamoring for his capture and execution." The eldest daughter responds coolly while crossing her arms. Her wand is in her right hand, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

Cattleya glares at her older sister again, who shudders in response but manages to keep her composure.

Meanwhile, Louise could only squeak out a faint "What...?" in response.

"It's unfortunate, but true. Mother came out here herself to see if your summon is who she thinks it is, and judging from the current situation, she was right." Eleanor continues to observe the fight, noting how her mother is gradually slowing down while Louise's summon seems to be losing more of his ability to attack properly. "If it's any consolation, this fight won't be decisive. Though why he hasn't fled by now is beyond me."

"Honestly..." The middle sister sighs in annoyance before getting her younger sister's attention. "Louise, we came out here to try and learn why this man has done what he has done. I had hoped that we would arrive before things turned out this way, so at the very least we could hear his side of the story." Cattleya's expression turns sad as she watches her mother and Aoi continue to fight despite their injuries.

Louise hugs her sister while keeping one eye on the gradually slowing fight. If it didn't consist of her mother and her summon fighting each other long after they both should have stopped, this is exactly the sort of battle that would be romanticized about in many a novel or play. As it is, she can barely watch.

Eleanor's lips twitched in annoyance. She reaches a conclusion, albeit one that makes no sense to her. "I wonder if he's staying for you, Louise. He could have fled the second things started going poorly, but he is sticking it out this time. The only thing that's changed so far as I can tell is that you summoned him."

"But I never even got to contract with him...!" Louise all but wails.

"I doubt he cares." Eleanor starts tapping her foot in annoyance. Or was it nerves? "...Nnnnggggh. GAAAH." Annoyance turns into anger, and before she knows it she's striding toward the two combatants despite the danger. She chants under her breath as she does so. "Wind Wall!" A solid, white gale forms in front of her and immediately starts taxing her. Thankfully, if she's right, she won't need to do anything more than this. "Mother! Bastard dragon! Enough of this already!" She gestures with her arm the second she's close enough to make herself heard. "This is going nowhere!"

Both turn to look at her. "You know she's got us dead to rights, right?" Aoi speaks first.

"No, the point of this was to ensure that you'll go nowhere." Karin spits out. "I'm sure Osmond has already called for assistance. Even if I can't defeat you myself, you're in no condition to face the rest of Tristian's might." She then looks to Eleanor. "As for you and Cattleya, I will be having words with you both over this."

The dragon makes a dismissive sound and rolls his eyes in response. "Oh please, you haven't done jack to keep me from leaving."

Eleanor manages to ignore her mother just long enough to dismiss her wind wall and drive her fist into Aoi's head in one motion, knocking him over. " **SHUT. UP.** " She says through grit teeth as she grabs the summon by the leg and starts pulling him toward his sisters. "We are clearing this nonsense up RIGHT NOW."

Karin blinks in surprise. Such complete defiance is a rare thing, as is completely ignoring her. She manages to start limping toward her daughters while only refraining from chuckling at the sheer absurdity of the situation due to her composure. Still, if her daughter was willing to risk her wrath to pull this stunt, there must be a reason for it.

Whether it's a _worthwhile_ reason, on the other hand, remains to be seen.

-

Cattleya's pet raven reunites with her master at a table inside the headmaster's office, with a water mage in tow. After everything that's happened, the last thing anyone needs is for gawking students to come barging in on a tense meeting and explanation. Or most of the teachers, for that matter. The only ones present are most of the Valliere family, a still-thrashed Aoi (who happens to be bleeding still,) an annoyed Matilda (going by the name Ms. Longueville for the sake of hiding her identity from Albion nobility,) Tabitha (who at least has the alibi of investigating Aoi for Gallia,) and Osmond himself (who's mostly annoyed with the general disruptions.)

"I think the first order of business would be to discuss who's going to take responsibility for all the damage that fight caused." Osmond sits at the head of said table, with Karin on the other end. Most of the other people present are either seated on either side, or in Matilda's case, standing to record what's being said.

"My family will handle the cost if needed. I saw an opportunity to make progress toward locating the the man responsible for attacking Tristian for roughly eight months and could not let it pass by." Karin resumes her usual mode of operation, which is to be as unreadable and unflappable as possible.

"Or you could have, I don't know... _asked_ me about it." Aoi's mood has been fouled considerably, though he seems to only be directing it at Karin.

"You have displayed no peaceful intent at any point prior to this. I could only assume that this time would be no different." Coincidentally, Karin herself seems to be annoyed at Aoi's very presence.

"Mother, please..." Cattleya is in the middle of being looked over by the healer, just in case.

Louise is still in a mild state of panic.

Osmond looks to Louise's summon.

Aoi sighs. "I can chip in, most likely. I'm not some murderhobo. I just don't have any of this land's currency, my assets are in commodity form only."

"I can work with that. Though I admit that I'm curious, Mr. Aoi. Why do you keep your wealth in such a state?" Osmond's current issue being resolved, he allows himself a slight indulgence in his curiosity.

"Currency is only as good as the nation that mints it. Plus, any given nation has to accept any _other_ nation's word that their currency is good. We don't know enough of how these Brimiric nations work, so it's just easier to keep everything as commodities until we need to buy something we can't barter for." The summon's response winds up being quite animated as he explains, using largely restrained gestures so he doesn't smack anyone.

Eleanor simply hums for a moment, before coughing pointedly. All eyes turn to her. "As important as reparations are, I did not storm a potentially deadly fight and slug my sister's summon upside the head to discuss currency. I believe the more important topic on the itinerary is _you explaining yourself_." She looks to Aoi with an annoyed expression. Perhaps the combined stress of everything that's happened on top of her mother promising punishment has rendered her somewhat unsound in judgement.

"Ye gods, someone ask-" Aoi started snarking, however he was a touch too close to Eleanor and as a result took another fist to the face for his trouble. "Fiiiiine. Okay, I'll try to keep it simple." He generates an orb of light in his hand, and flicks it onto the table. A few gestures later and it spreads out across the table and displays a map of Tristian, or at least part of it. "Alright, so it came to my attention a number of years ago that the Brimiric nations are facing some kind of crisis. We didn't have all the specifics, but we _do_ have a fairly solid idea of what it is."

He taps the display, causing a number of distinct points to start pinging. Eleanor recognizes the locations instantly. "Those are the known locations of major wind stone deposits."

"Eeeeyup. Now, if you know that, you probably know that these things have been growing in size. Doesn't sound like such a bad deal, considering how important they are for the nations. At least until a buddy of mine ran the numbers." He creates an addition to the map, which allows it to display Albion. "We used Albion as a benchmark and assumed it isn't a normal formation. At Albion's core is a motherload of wind stones, which just so happen to be what's keeping the nation aloft. Then I thought 'hey, what if the wind stones could lift other chunks of land?'"

Pretty much everyone remains silent as Aoi taps the side of the display, this being more or less common knowledge.

"Turns out that it works exactly as you'd expect." Aoi slams his fist down on the display for dramatic effect as the timeline display pops up, and a countdown timer with it.

The displayed wind stone nodes start rising into the air when the timer reaches zero, taking a significant chunk of land around each one with it. A second timer appears. "But of course, the other side of the coin is that Wind Stones can be used up, and if they go below an appropriate threshold..." The second timer runs out, and the smaller nodes come crashing back down to the earth. "That happens."

The reactions around the table vary. Eleanor looks unnerved, but not surprised by this revelation. Cattleya and Louise both blanch slightly. Osmond strokes his beard worriedly. Karin maintains her mask, though she notes that Longueville and Tabitha not only not react, but appear determined for some reason.

"Could you not have made your appeal to the courts?" Asks Osmond.

Aoi shakes his head. "See this timer? This is how much time we have to get every major Wind Stone node in Halk under control. We have at most, two or three years left and we've still got 85% of Germania to go through, and all of Gallia and Romalia. Plus sub-nations." He then leans back in his chair. "Do you really think that every single major court, every single noble, and every single religious head would not only believe a couple of shmucks who came in out of nowhere, but grant them permission to mine out a valuable resource for them in a timeframe that will leave us enough time to pull this off?"

"If you were able to share your techniques with us, surely it could be possible." Osmond interjects.

The summon shrugs. "Joseph pretty much set us back when we DID try that approach, and that turned us off nobility pretty hard. Then when we tried to be quiet in dealing with your nation's problem, some trigger-happy noble almost killed my partner with a mis-aimed warning shot. We gave up after that and decided to just try and overpower anyone who tries to stop us."

"Then why are you even trying to help us?" Asks Karin, with only the faintest hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Because apparently my partner and I are a couple of altruistic idiots." Aoi then dismisses the display. "Plus it's a scratch my back I'll scratch yours type of deal. We can help you with more than just this, but honestly we just figured the Brimiric nations just labeled us heretics and terrorists long before we even really started and stopped caring about whether they actually did or not."


	7. Snapped

Aoi lounges on a chair in Louise's room next to an open window, his expression somewhat annoyed since he had to show part of his hand a little earlier than anticipated. At the very least everyone was willing to put stock in his explanation, but on the flip side everyone present was either empathetic, logical, a scholar, or already knew. He feels that he can't count on Tristain's courts being the same way, especially not since Brimiric society seems to be based on mage superiority as a whole.

Though in his opinion, most 'nobles' are basically self-absorbed politicians with the ability to sling spells. That just makes them worse.

Cattleya is currently occupying Louise's bed proper, with his summoner all but curled up against her. Things had gone pear-shaped for the small pinkette so quickly that he's honestly surprised that she's even consolable at this point. The two sisters are just cuddling each other, with the older's pets nearby and providing support in their own way. Eleanor appears to have procured, or have brought, a dossier on the wind stone deposits around Tristain and has decided to do some of her work from the Magic Academy rather than head back to the actual Research Academy. The summon has to admire her dedication to her family, at least.

The eldest Valliere casts a sideways glare at Aoi, who proceeds to ignore it. She then sighs. "The information the Academy's collected matches up with yours perfectly, dragon. Convincing the courts of the threat will not be an issue as we have suspected that such a crisis may be looming ahead for quite some time." She straightens out her papers and adds the new information to the pile. "What I do not understand is how you came to be aware of this crisis to begin with."

"Not to sound like an ass, but the tone you're using tells me that you already have an idea." Aoi crosses one leg over the other as he meets her gaze.

Eleanor adjusts her glasses once and huffs pointedly. "I do. Now, I am sure that this may come as something of a surprise to you, but I am the head researcher at the Tristain Research Academy. I have access to every last scrap of information contained within, even that which would be considered secret. I also know when some of that information goes missing." She pulls out an inventory list and points to a relatively small batch of items with a red circle around it. "A number of research documents from Professor Wardes simply vanished overnight a few months before the attacks on Tristain started. I know her son was also involved with that research as well, and would have had access to said documents just on the off chance that his mother needed someone swift and trustworthy to collect something."

Louise perks up upon hearing the name Wardes be thrown around, but does not dare interrupt. What does her fiance have to do with this?

"I will admit that I find Professor Wardes' approach to gaining assistance to be rather... odd. I can understand if she had made a breakthrough in her research, but she has not returned from her last outing to report to the Academy. Instead, it appears that she has contacted you. I would suspect that she would only do so if you had some prior connection to her, or if you fit the criteria of someone who would be able to confirm her findings." Eleanor crosses her arms and keeps her wand in her hand while tapping one of her feet.

Aoi scratches the side of his head. "You're fairly on-point. I can't tell you exactly what happened or why, but I can tell you that you're off by one detail."

Louise looks worried again, as it feels like another part of her slowly improving life is about to come crashing down around her. Cattleya purses her lips, perhaps already having guessed at what the summon means.

"Viscount Wardes approached you himself, didn't he?" The eldest sister narrows her eyes at Aoi. She sighs when he nods, and takes her glasses off to rub at her forehead. "Great. Wonderful. In order for him to have been in position to do that, I would think that the man already had business on Albion. I can't think of a single legitimate reason for a high-ranking Griffin Knight to go there in the middle of a period of civil unrest." Eleanor's face darkens, but she almost appears to be more angry at herself than anyone else. "Appearing at the wrong place at the wrong time could sour Tristain's ties to the Albion nobility, or whatever's left of them at this point. His connection to you will not improve his situation any either. At least three noble families are 'secretly' trying to spin this to make you look like a merciless, barbaric invader. If this gets out carelessly Wardes could be accused of attempting to cause Albion to sever its ties with Tristain to weaken both for you."

Everyone in the room knows that it would also mean the end of Louise's arranged marriage, and subsequently any chance of her having at least something resembling a happy life. Cattleya holds her little sister a bit tighter to reassure her.

"It truly is unfortunate, is it not?" Cattleya is largely unfamiliar with politics, but knows enough to tell that this is a situation with a relatively low chance of resolving itself favorably. "The entire scenario is nothing more than a comedy of errors that has left people who should be able to work with one another on opposite sides."

"Not helped by two people taking one bad experience and assuming it to be the case every time." Eleanor glares at the summon again. "King Joseph of Gallia is known as the-"

"Mad King, yes, I know." Aoi cut off the eldest daughter to complete her sentence. "But can you really blame us? First guy we try to talk to about this and he turns out to be a nutcase about ten minutes into it. Once we warned him about what was coming he seemed... _happy_ about it. He didn't want to know how to fix the issue, he wanted to know how to speed it up. How to get hunks of land torn out of his nation and dropped on other parts of the world." The summon shakes his head in disgust. "After that, we had to assume the other nation leaders were going to be about as bad in their own ways. Maybe not so overtly _bonkers_ , per-say, but why risk it? We wound up having to fend off the idiot's military, and whatever pet elves he had on hand at the time. Those guys are tough as nails."

Eleanor makes a strangled sound in her throat as she tries to say too many things at once, while Cattleya and Louise's eyes go wide.

"...What?" Asks the summon, not understanding what all the hype is about.

"Th-that...! If what you say is true, King Joseph is betraying everyone!" Eleanor finally manages to stammer out. "And he has not, will not, and never will represent any sane noble leader! Especially not with that! _Please_ tell me you didn't give him anything to work with!"

"We literally just packed our stuff up and left. ...And my partner may have annihilated the node we were using as a demonstration on the way out, just to spite the man." Aoi pokes his index fingers together nervously. "We maaaaay have also swiped his sister in law out from under him, and his niece. And leveled part of the castle they were held in in the process. Aaaand sank a few of his airships for good measure." He raises his hands defensively. "Don't get me wrong, we had our reasons for doing that."

Eleanor's expression is contorted into one of helpless disbelief, yet her hands are clenching so hard that her knuckles are turning white and her wand is starting to crack. "Ahaha..." She starts limping forward, her self-control lost. She holsters her wand and somehow produces a pair of whips from on her person. "Hahahaha...!"

Louise has buried herself under the sheets of her bed, while Catleya's pets formed a defensive barrier around her with their bodies. Aoi raised an eyebrow at the display.

"Mr. Aoi, I would recommend that you run." Cattleya gives a quiet warning as her older sister starts to pick up the pace. She sighs in relief when he takes the hint and narrowly avoids Eleanor's first bodily tackle by flinging himself through a window. An action emulated by her older sister, who has the common sense to at least use her wind magic to make the pursuit relatively safe. All the while, she shivers as she hears the half-insane laugh of her sister echoing across the courtyard.


	8. Chilled

Eleanor and Aoi both are currently hanging from the ceiling by their ankles, with the material used being the former's two whips. The former looks distinctly bemused about all this, while the latter looks utterly confused. Sitting in view of the two is one Tabitha, her expression one of subdued exasperation. Another point to note is that both ends of the whips appear to be encased in ice to further prevent any shenanigans while the two cool down. The petite mage continues to read for the time being if for no other reason than she needs something to do, while Sylphid uses her muzzle.

"This is completely unnecessary, you know." Eleanor manages to keep up the image of a dignified noble even in the face of such a ridiculous, if not humiliating, situation.

"Fully necessary." Tabitha's voice is tinged with annoyance. "You planned on attacking him."

"Because the idiot dragon has given the Mad King more than enough justification to act against him, and whoever happens to be in the general vicinity!" The eldest daughter's voice is downright indignant as she points out what she considers to be the obvious. "Mere hours ago and he was talking about trying to make amends, but the courts will shoot that down the second they learn how much damage the dragon has actually done!"

"Uncle attacked first." The blunette stares Eleanor in the eyes with a level of aggravated seriousness rarely seen in one such as her.

"Uncle...?" Eleanor's eyes go wide as she realizes what that means. "Hmph. I suppose you're prepared to give your side of the story if need be, then?"

"Always." Tabitha nods while Sylphid happily bats Aoi back and forth. The petite mage then smacks her dragon on the head. "Stop that."

Sylphid manages to somehow look like a kicked puppy before happily coming up with another solution. She carefully bites the whip and uses her teeth to sever it, ending its impromptu use as a tether. However, she manages to forget that gravity exists, resulting in Aoi hitting the ground head-first. Not that it stops said dragon from happily hugging her apparent peer.

Eleanor stares in disbelief once more, but it wasn't tinged with a mild bout of insanity. "He could have easily gotten himself out of that!"

"Plays along." Tabitha turns the page of the book she's reading.

The eldest sister simply growls in an annoyed manner.

The petite mage closes her book in her lap and stares at the eldest sister in an equally annoyed manner. "Why does it bother you so much?"

"Because he's so _gentle_!" Hisses the blond as she starts rifling through her pockets. "I was expecting some kind of monster that can't be reasoned with!"

Tabitha opens her mouth to respond when Aoi cuts in. "Keep in mind that I wasn't exactly giving her the best first impression all those months ago, Charlotte."

"Or anyone in Tristian, for that matter! Wind Blade!" Eleanor appears to have found a backup wand and has cut her own whip to escape. Unlike Aoi, her landing is more graceful as she manages to land hand-first and keep her balance long enough to flip herself the rest of the way over. The added challenge of her ankles being frozen together didn't matter much to her, and she takes out a small chisel to start chipping the ice off. The fact that the summon used Tabitha's true name only added to the petite mage's credibility, however. "I am quite certain you know what comes next for him!"

"This is about Louise, isn't it." The summon jumps into the conversation once more, hitting the button Tabitha was about to press.

Eleanor manages to chip her feet free, and continues to knock the ice off. "At least you're not completely clueless, dragon." Once the last few chunks have fallen off, the young woman gabs a chair and promptly sits in it. "The whelp has always been a zero when it comes to magic, and as much as I think she's wasting her time at this Academy I do have to concede that the girl is dedicated if nothing else." She then points at the summon accusingly. "But then she just had to go and summon you! You, who in the span of a day have effectively robbed her of any hope just by being there for her! She was at the very _least_ supposed to be able to be married to Viscount Wardes so she could be taken care of by someone who loves her, but the court will surely demand his head just as much as they will yours!"

She then marches up to the currently pinned summon and pokes him. "The _only_ reason I don't utterly despise you for this more than I already do is because you had the common sense to deny her a chance to contract with you. If you had, I would **never** be able to forgive you!" She takes a moment to breathe before she runs out of breath completely before starting back up. "And as much as I'm sure you have your reasons for detonating a wind stone deposit in Gallia and causing a massive dust storm, partially leveling a historical landmark, and weakening their air fleet, it does not change the fact that the Mad King may skip over diplomacy and simply gather up his army to invade Tristian once he knows you're here! His forces out-number ours by a massive margin, and on top of that we're still reeling from the blows you've dealt us! We wouldn't be able to win!"

Tabitha looks noticeably nervous about that, as that does sound like something her uncle would do.

"I am also certain you are unaware of this, but Albion is currently dealing with its own civil war, your partner is keeping Germania occupied, and Romalia will sit out any war that doesn't directly involve them. We have no one to turn to." Eleanor crosses her arms once more and returns to her seat, having said her peace. "I would also wager that you can't help us, because if your partner pulls his forces out to assist us, Germania may mount a counter-offensive in the only direction they know may work. Right. through. us." The eldest sister's gaze is nothing short of icy as she lays out what information she's picked up. "If Tristian officially pardons you, that is what we can expect to have happen in response. That is why I snapped earlier. You offered a chance to reconcile that this nation cannot afford to take."

The woman starts to calm down again as she gets the majority of what she wants to say off her chest. "I imagine the only protection we have as of current is the fact that Tristian has _not_ pardoned you. Gallia has no legitimate reason to invade as of current, and will continue to be deprived of any reason in so far as the courts keep it that way. If they do so anyway, Romalia will respond in kind as it is the Pope's sworn duty to ensure that the Brimiric nations continue to play by the rules set down by our forefathers." She then sighs. "...I confess that I agree with my sister, however. Your situation is unfortunate, and... I would love nothing more than to be able to see my youngest sister smile honestly."

Aoi remains quiet while processing this new information.

Meanwhile, Tabitha offers up a solution. "Let her go with him."

Eleanor's eye twitches in response. "Let Louise. Go with _him_." She repeats back what she just heard.

"If what you say is true, she has no future here anyway." Tabitha is in one of her rarer verbose moods. She looks to the summon, who shrugs in response. "Aoi has someplace to go to that she'll be safe."

The eldest daughter's mind trips over itself as she latches onto that last factoid. "Someplace safe? He has something like that?"

"It belongs to his partner, but Aoi has free use of it." Tabitha adjusts her posture to make herself more comfortable. "I actually live there as well."

Eleanor's curiosity begins to get the better of her. She should refuse, but part of her distinctly wants to know how deep the rabbit hole goes. Another part of her can't help but see this as an opportunity to get access to the very materials and techniques she's been wanting to get at ever since this began. One that may never come up again. "I'll need to inspect this safe place personally before I even consider giving my blessing in the matter."


	9. Island Resort

Out of all of her decisions so far, Eleanor considers this one to be her _least_ intelligent and well-thought out move out of all of the ones she's made so far. Walking straight into what can only be considered the enemy stronghold where her only means of escape relies on the one who brought her here playing nice and letting her back out when she asks will surely bring down not just her mother's ire, but Cattleya's as well. There is absolutely, positively, no reason to trust either the Gallian princess or the dragon's word on the matter.

Yet she did so anyway.

On the flip side, the potential gains from this one moronic stunt could make up for all of that and then some. Not just for ignoring the logical reasons for _not_ going, but making the first real headway since this mess started. One of the first things that goes through the young woman's head as she takes a look around is that at the very least, whoever this elusive mage is, he's picked a nice place to set up shop. The weather's pleasantly warm and sunny with a breeze just strong enough to keep things from being uncomfortable. There's a vast ocean all around the island she's on, with glittering white sand beaches unlike anything she's ever seen. There's other such islands close by, with any number of structures on them ranging from what appear to be houses, to farms, to military facilities. There's even clouds in the sky too.

"Your partner owns all of this?" Despite her adherence to decorum, Eleanor can't help but note that she's speaking in a curious tone.

"Yup! This is where we've been launching all those mining expeditions from, and why not one of your nations can track us down. We're just too far away." Aoi shrugs and shakes his head with a smile. "Though, uh, neither of us really meant to cause you guys that much grief. We're just trying to do what we think is right."

The eldest daughter levels a hard gaze at the dragon for a moment before sighing. "I do not think that anyone who knows what you're doing and why you're doing it could fault you in good conscience for long. I can't speak for everyone, of course, but there are a number of people who would love nothing more than to resolve this peacefully." Something occurs to her just then as well. "Come to think of it, our reports indicated that you first showed up on Albion. You said you made an appeal to King Joseph first, but he can't have been the first member of the nobility you encountered."

"Geeze, you've got a sharp mind, don't you?" Aoi drifts along while facing the blond mage. "Truth be told our distaste for the nobility came after three examples. Joseph was actually the second, Archambault was the third. The first was when my partner interfered in the slaughter of Sachen-Gotha. It was right at the end, too. He only managed to save two people from that, and almost got killed for it himself."

As much as Eleanor wanted to chew the man out for interfering with such a thing, she couldn't find it in herself to do so. "You two really don't know anything about how the Brimiric nations work, or their history, do you?" She did file that last bit away for later. The Albion nobility conveniently left out a few details from that event.

"Guilty as charged." Aoi winds up looking a touch sheepish. "I never said my partner and I were _smart_ altruists."

"This may take a while, then. Is there any place we can sit and talk?" Eleanor crosses her arms once more, but for once there's no aggression behind the move.

-

It hadn't taken long for the summon, his partner, and Eleanor to be seated at a glass table in a rather elaborate and well-cared for garden. A non-combat version of one of the humanoid golems brought out a tea set, and the eldest daughter couldn't help but stare. This is the closest anyone has ever gotten to one such construct, and she can pick out that it's armored immediately. The method of securing the armor plating is a bit bizarre to her, but she can't stop herself from writing down notes about this model. Once she remembered what it was she was actually supposed to be doing, she launched into a brief yet thorough explanation of the structure of the Brimiric nations, the relationship between the nations, their collective history, their belief system, and the hostility toward elves. Plus a quick rundown of why Sachen-Gotha had been eliminated to begin with.

"Bleh, racial hatred. Guess that does line up with what we did find out about that already." Aoi sticks his tongue out in distaste as he leans back in his chair.

"I suppose that's just our luck too. We try to help out and we meet all the psychos in rapid succession." Aoi's partner takes a sip of his drink, feeling a similar sense of annoyance. "Though I suppose it just means our judgement was sound when Aoi and I thought that Tiffania would be better off living here than trying to find someplace out there."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow at that part. "I assume you're speaking of one of the two people you saved, Mr. Blake?"

"Indeed, Ms. Eleanor. Tiffania is a half-elf. Considering what we've heard about the relationship between elves and humans, it made more sense to simply not force her to live in a world where the vast majority of the population would try to lynch her for what she is. Not when other options exist." Blake finishes his cup and sets it back down.

"I think I can safely assume that I am not the sole contributor of information in that regard." Eleanor gives the mage a level stare as she tries to think of how the two could have learned more about that.

"Well, Tiffi's mother's a more stubborn person than most." Aoi threw that tidbit out there somewhat nervously, suddenly concerned about what might happen.

Eleanor thinks to herself for a moment. "So you were able to talk to the elf who essentially sparked all of that." Part of her is utterly repulsed by this knowledge, but she shelves that thought as this is too important to just throw away.

"Indeed. But please understand, Shajal threw away literally everything in order to be with the one that she loved, and her late husband effectively did the same." Blake's expression turns to one of subdued worry as he speaks.

The young woman had to reevaluate the two people sitting across from her. At first she thought they knew exactly what they're doing, but with every passing moment she learns some new piece of information, gains some new insight into their mentality that she can't help but feel utterly exasperated by them both. They're not idiots, they're just so far removed from Brimiric society and its baggage at large that they cannot properly comprehend it. They don't understand why humans and elves can hate each other so completely. They must come from somewhere that does tolerate them, or otherwise believes in treating everyone like a person so completely that the concept of racial hatred just doesn't click. They likely consider the tale of an elf and a man falling in love with each other despite running counter to Brimiric society to be something to be applauded, not scorned.

Yet on the flip side, she herself has to admit that she cannot comprehend such a society or such an upbringing herself. It's just too alien to her.

What does it mean for her little sister to have summoned the dragon who holds such idyllic beliefs, then?

"Oh, wait, crap. I need to duck out, we didn't exactly let your sisters know about this, did we?" Aoi suddenly remembers something that should have been considered to begin with, and generates a portal to step through. In a mere moment, he's gone, leaving the two mages alone at the table.

"...My apologies, sometimes he gets like that." Blake refills his cup and takes another swig.

"This is far too much to take in all at once." Eleanor finally takes a drink herself, noting that the flavor is distinctly different from what she's used to. However, she's not surprised.

"Understandable. Being thrown into a land where you have no idea how anything works isn't easy." Blake gives a wry smile in understanding.

The eldest daughter looks to the side, trying to find some other topic to work with for the time being, so as to not waste her opportunity. "So, what are those?" She looks to the armored golems tending to the garden. "They don't seem to be anything like the golems or Alviss we have at home."

The two would be occupied with varying kinds of small talk for quite a while.


	10. Opportunity

For the time being, Eleanor seems content to discuss the functions and properties of the various golems that had once plagued Tristian, and she even set aside the fact that she should by all means be utterly livid at the man to hear him out. Her general mood and body language is no more than that of a head researcher talking shop with a foreign peer.

"So they are for all intents and purposes more advanced Alviss?" The young woman in question is busy tapping at a magic-powered holographic display of a basic shock troop. "And modular, no less!"

"So long as I don't overburden the chassis I can theoretically outfit them for any task, but of course modular systems have the weakness of having important tools just plain blown off. I ran into that during the brief Sachen-Gotha skirmish." Blake throws up another projection on the table displaying that exact earlier design flaw. "I've corrected for it since then, as well as enhancing the alloy's thermal resistance." He taps the table in thought. "I guess you could compare the two, but Alviss are largely just toys, aren't they?"

"They can be used as servants as well so long as you give them the right command list, but yes, they are for the most part just toys particularly zealous earth mages make to entertain or save on hiring help." Eleanor sketches and takes notes wherever she can, as Blake made no effort to stop her from doing so. "Though these larger models look like they require a much more potent source of magic to draw from. Any one of these may very well require an Earth Stone for us to make one."

"I know a thing or two about creating power cores." Blake says smugly.

"Obviously. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to deploy as many of these as you have." Eleanor replies dryly, taking it in surprising stride. "...What is this supposed to be?" She points to a rather ridiculous-looking blade attachment for the standard shock troop chassis. It appears to be a number of relatively interlocking gears sandwiched between two metal plates, with the whole thing looking like a very thin meat grinder.

"...That's an early blade design. It wasn't the best idea I ever had." To his credit, the elusive mage looks suitably embarrassed.

"No, no it wasn't. A single gear attached to some kind of shaft would work better. Increase the number of teeth and make it more like a saw." Eleanor promptly comes up with a better idea inside of ten seconds, then a lightbulb goes off in her head as she promptly sketches another design down. "Actually, this could be used to give Alviss the ability to cut down trees. It'd be difficult to pitch the idea, but creating and supplying woodcutter dolls shouldn't be too hard once the Academy gets a working design down."

Meanwhile Blake is simply happy that his apparent peer didn't just laugh. At least she jumped subjects. "Honestly, I wish I could work with you more overtly than this. It feels like we have a lot we could learn from one another."

"Hm... I as well. Most of the Research Academies in the Brimiric nations don't share progress readily, as we're both rather competitive and, well..." The eldest daughter trails off as she thinks about how to phrase the next part. "Any new inventions or applications of elemental magic have to be cleared by the Pope himself, or run the risk of being declared heresy. More than one researcher has been swept under the rug because they either didn't make an effort to appeal beforehand, or because it would upset the balance between nobles and commoners."

"Ugh. Which means I could be tried and executed just because I didn't obey the whims of some control-obsessed madman if I ever made an attempt to collaborate." The more Blake hears about the Brimiric nations, the more he comes to dislike the downright backward appearance of the place.

That made Eleanor's eye twitch, though she makes an active effort to not take it out on the man sitting opposite her. "The Brimiric faith is responsible for what stability the four nations enjoy, as well as honoring our Founder and the elements he has blessed us with. It would do well for you to not speak ill of it in more mixed company."

Blake simply sighs. "My apologies for projecting issues, but I come from a land where every time religion and government mixes, it always ends poorly." He changes the display up to one of his basic worker chassis, the same spider-like drones that Eleanor herself is already familiar with. "They deliberately stonewall progress, advocate racial superiority, and encourage ignorance for the sake of lining their own pockets and exerting control over a populace that doesn't need them. ...It's difficult for me to imagine that your land's equivalent being much better, much like how I am quite sure you can't imagine what my land must be like."

As much as the eldest daughter wants to make a scathing remark in response, she once again refrains from doing so. It's clear that the man has a deep distrust of the Church and no mere words will change that view, just as how no mere words would make her waver in her faith.

...That being said, even she can tell that the man will likely be tried and executed at this rate. Given how no one knows or supports them, even if King Joseph attacked them first, and Archambault's family did the same, the Church could be called upon to perform an Inquisition none the less. Technically, Blake is nothing more than a maverick, and the Church would be far more inclined to believe the word of the faithful than a lone man who is willing to harbor elves. Or one and a half elves. Still more than Romalia would ever be willing to tolerate.

As much as the young woman may hate to admit it, the elusive mage's paranoia may very well be justified. His only protection is this land, and his ability to arrive and leave at will.

In fact, she herself had once entertained the idea of killing the man sitting across from her personally in the past. Not for religious reasons, granted, but at this stage it doesn't matter.

She could never go through with it now, of course, but once again, it doesn't matter.

The opportunity for peaceful collaboration is long past, with it vanishing before anyone could entertain or even appreciate the idea. All she can hope for now or in the future are the equivalent of table scraps from a banquet she isn't supposed to attend to begin with. The scholar in her certainly scorns the idea of forcibly ruining an opportunity that more or less landed in everyone's lap, but the damage is done.

"Ms. Valliere?" Blake's voice snaps her out of her thoughts as she focuses on the mage again.

"My apologies, I was lost in thought for a spell." She resumes sketching and writing down ideas while simultaneously wondering how in the world she's going to be able to actually act on any of it. To do so would raise questions on where she got all the inspiration from, and try as she might she is no actor. It may very well be forbidden knowledge, since she can only gain it through friendly interactions with a wanted criminal. A 'criminal' whose only crime was losing faith in nobility, yet acting to save everyone anyway.

Eleanor bites her lower lip briefly before redoubling her efforts. She's tempted by this potentially forbidden knowledge and cannot throw away what the young man offers. ...At the very least, the mining techniques should be overlooked if anyone asks.


	11. Returning

It has to be around evening when Eleanor finds herself stepping back out into the same room she had left hours before. She finds it amazing how quickly one can lose track of the time when when you didn't have any major issues to concern one's self with... even if she really should have kept them in mind. Still, her discussions have proved fruitful as she has a stack of notes and sketches to work with. The only thing that could dampen her mood would be dealing with her mother.

...Which given what she just spent the last couple of hours doing, would be all but inevitable.

She makes her way back up to her youngest sister's room, and lets herself in.

"Have you calmed down, big sister?" Cattleya's tone isn't nervous in the slightest at this point, suggesting that she may have a solid handle on how long it takes her sister to recover from snapping.

"I have!" The enthusiasm in her voice is a far cry from the borderline insanity coloring her tone earlier. "I was able to actually talk to that elusive mage and get some information out of him, including those mining techniques he used. They're... honestly a touch resource-intensive, but extremely stable. I dare say they're fortifications in their own right."

"That is good to hear! I was afraid that you would only succeed in chasing around Mr. Aoi for a while." The middle daughter closes her eyes and smiles, then coughs once. "Ah... I suppose travelling so far may have been a bit much."

"I'm still glad you're here, big sister. I'm a little bit better now." Louise is sitting off to the side, mostly to let her sister rest unimpeded.

Eleanor looks to her youngest sister next. "Speaking of which, I apologize for the display earlier."

Louise gives her sister a double-take, as though she cannot quite comprehend what she just said. "...Are you sure you're well?"

"Don't push it." There's a slight strain in the eldest daughter's smile, not helped any by the fact that her youngest sister expresses _relief_ over the small display of a rapidly shortening fuse.

"So, what was the mage like?" Asks Cattleya serenely, conveniently throwing the conversation topic off by a bit.

"To be honest, he's unexpectedly pleasant. He takes great pride in his work, and seems to love nothing more than conversing with someone who can keep up with him." Eleanor starts packing up her notes into a small chest so that she doesn't forget them later.

"Someone you would be interested in, perhaps?" The middle sister's tone turns teasing.

"Sister, Blake may be an interesting man, but he is still a wanted criminal." Eleanor's response is a touch sharp, but the look on her sister's face indicates that she ignored the tone completely. "...As in getting involved with him any more than I already have right now would be a horrible idea."

The middle daughter seems entirely too content for this, while the younger looks like she wants to say something but refrains from doing so.

"There's no getting that fairy tale romance scenario out of your head, is there?" The eldest daughter sighs in resignation as she realizes what Cattleya's expression means. She then looks to Louise once more. "A friend of your summon brought up an idea, though it is one I do not support."

"What is it, big sister?" Asks the smaller pinkette.

"...With your summon being a wanted criminal, and Wardes potentially being removed from his status as your fiance, the idea was proposed that you be allowed to go with your summon freely." The eldest daughter crosses her arms, but it's not an aggressive or aggravated motion. "As much as I disapprove, and know that mother would forbid you from even considering the idea, I do see the logic behind it. You are not gaining much benefit from remaining at this school, and Wardes may very well lose his status as your fiance soon if he can't convince the courts to ignore his involvement in all this."

Louise simply looks down at the floor in turn, being unable to meet her sister's eyes.

"That being said, Aoi and Blake's home is so far removed from the current conflict that there would be no way for any of the Brimiric nations to actually track it down, and it appears to be an incredibly well-furnished and self-sustaining setup to boot. It appears to be some kind of island chain in a warmer climate."

Louise's head snaps back up in record speed. "An island chain?!"

"It sounds as though Mr. Aoi and Mr. Blake are quite well to do." Cattleya can't hide her surprise either, though her reaction is naturally a fair bit more refined.

"They are. I would honestly see no issue with Louise visiting their home if the aforementioned issues didn't exist. As things are now, I'm admittedly afraid that you'll be seen as working with them willingly, which would complicate matters immensely." Eleanor's expression betrays her concern for her little sister. "That aside, Cattleya and I will likely remain here for a day or two more unless something goes wrong. Even if we cannot do much, we will be here for you."

Thus, some time passes before the next event of note occurs.


	12. Philosophy

It had taken a few days for Tristian's court members to organize themselves well enough to actually hold the needed trial, but they had essentially set a new record for the speed at which bureaucracy can move. It probably has something to do with the nature of the trial and how much everyone there wants to get it over with. Karin is functioning as Aoi's escort, who happens to be using his dragon form for flight despite proving that he didn't need it before.

"Hmph. This shall be amusing, I think. I have never actually seen your land's court at work before. I wonder if it is capable of accomplishing anything meaningful?" The earlier playful tones and casual posture are absent from Aoi's current form, replaced by a certain level of sophistication instead.

The Heavy Wind sees fit to ignore the jab, instead remaining silent.

"You're going to be one of those types of people who have to remain stoic and collected no matter what, aren't you?" The dragon spares a glance at the woman in formation with him as he speaks.

"Unlike you, I actually hold myself to a high set of standards." Karin finally grit out. Clearly, she has little interest in putting up with the wordy dragon.

"Do those standards include being an ornately dressed murderhobo?" Aoi drops altitude slightly to avoid a wind bullet fired at him.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your comments to yourself." The Heavy Wind managed to cast that spell and holster her wand in the same motion, no doubt possible from years of practice.

"And miss your reactions? For all your attempts to hold yourself higher, all you've done is make yourself predictable." The dragon would raise an eyebrow if his current form allowed for it.

"My position as one of the heads of the Valliere family demands that I do so."

"You humans and your silly politics."

"I suppose a simple animal like yourself wouldn't understand."

"Ha! Simple animal, is that your new jab at me? Come now, you have a sharper tongue than that!"

"Silence, you silver simpleton."

"A bit better. I don't think you're going to top the time you managed to refer to me as nothing but a string of foreign swear words."

Karin manages to somehow look stoic and embarrassed simultaneously. "That was nothing more than a loss of composure."

The dragon laughs at that, his voice sounding more like an amused gale than anything else.

The Heavy Wind simply glares at her relatively long-time target.

"I correct myself. It isn't 'you humans and your silly politics', it's 'you humans and your silly desire to deny yourselves your nature for the sake of feeling superior.'"

Karin knows full well that that sort of attitude would likely get the dragon in considerable amounts of trouble. In fact, it _has_ landed the dragon in considerable amounts of trouble before, but she knows full well that unlike most people who spout off like that, the dragon has the power to fight back and win. Not to mention there is the infuriating fact that he seems so _smug_ about it when people do grow tired of his antics and attack him. He had called it 'forfeiting the intellectual discussion through violence, which coincidentally just proves me right.'

She, like most everyone else in the Brimiric nations, absolutely hated that attitude.

Unfortunately, her constant exposure to the dragon's jabs had made her think of two things. One, that he does in fact have a point. Anytime she gets too invested in her battles against Aoi, she throws decorum to the wind and reverts to her fighting styles from when she was still a hunter of criminal scum and hostile non-humans. Part of her simply wants the chance to fight like that again, to discard politics and fight to her fullest. Normally it's easy to ignore those urges because there simply aren't any people that capable of challenging her like that, but the challenge the dragon poses makes it almost impossible to do so.

The second part is that for all his bluster about being something other than a human, he speaks with a suspicious amount of experience. Having been exposed to so many non-humans in the past, Karin had always noticed that they have a tendency to think differently on a basic level. A vampire, an orc, an elf... they might reach the same conclusions he does, but they can't aim the accusations the way he can.

The Heavy Wind had to stifle a snicker as she considers the absurdity of an _orc_ trying to articulate anything, but the principle is there. Vampires and Orcs look down on humans and see them as cattle, Elves look down on humans and see them as barbaric. All three races also consider humans inferior to themselves, and all the rules and laws that humans create and follow are little more than meaningless bluster to try and raise themselves above what they are. Humans can just brush those accusations off precisely because they're being looked down upon.

The dragon seems to say much the same at first, but instead of saying 'because you're inferior,' he says 'because you're scared.' Karin even understands where it's coming from. Many a noble lords their power over the commoners precisely because they enjoy the power the status of being a noble grants them, though a few must do so because they feel insecure even with that power.

...It appears that the Heavy Wind's internal musing is enough to ignore the dragon's comments, so for the time being he has grown silent as well. The capital city of Tristian is on the horizon, so there is not much more to go.

In the end, the Heavy Wind has to concede one thing. Many nobles are superior to commoners solely because of their magic, not because of their convictions or strength of will. Those who know that fear it, and take it out on the very commoners they are sworn to protect and assist. Such flagrant abuses of power disgust Karin, which made her realize ages ago that the dragon is at least partially right about her.

If it weren't for her adherence to politics and willingness to obey the laws laid down by the crown, she would have demolished the corrupt, fearful nobles personally and kept doing so until they either shaped up or had to be replaced.

They pass over the town below and head toward the highest courthouse in the land, heading straight toward a den of the very sorts of nobles she despises.

She spares a glance at the dragon nearby and directs him downward. If she were even the slightest bit less mature, she'd be joining him in making retching noises as they descend.


	13. Yoink

Aoi wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting when he walked into the heart of the courtroom. Karin had supplied him with the basics, yet decided against trying to teach the dragon decorum simply because of the fact that it would stall things for another week easily. In the end there was just too much, and there are too many people who just want to get this done and over with. He stifles a yawn as he observes those seated, taking note of their appearance, expressions, and posture before making a mental note of sorting out who would be the biggest pain in the rear to deal with. Then he caught sight of one of the people who started all this.

High Court Archambault grows a little nervous in his seat for the brief period in which the dragon was busy trying to pound him into the dirt with his gaze alone.

With that out of the way, he continues his little scan of the room until his gaze settles on what is likely the only truly important person in the room at the moment. A certain princess that the Heavy Wind told him about. The current leader in training, Princess Henrietta. She meets his gaze and maintains a level of composure that few others could have in that instance. "Now that we are all gathered here, we may proceed." The princess takes a look at the stack of documents in front of her before looking at the dragon once more.

"Mr. Aoi, you stand accused of stealing natural resources from no fewer than thirteen estates, two of which belong to major families. You have also terrorized the occupants of these lands with frequent attacks for eight months, requiring the nation of Tristian to mobilize its military and request that all available hands lend their aid in fighting your automaton-based forces. You have also been found at least partially responsible for attacks against both Gallia and Germania, making this an international incident. This hearing will not be the last you will have to deal with."

"However, the estates you have attacked are also known locations of Wind Stone deposits, which the Tristian Research Academy has been studying for a number of years prior to this. As I am sure you are no doubt aware at this stage, the wind stone deposits have been recorded as growing in size with much of the Academy's efforts being devoted toward improving our nation's mining techniques so that they may be extracted. Furthermore, recently recovered documents penned by Professor Wardes of the Academy detail a disturbing development, which we have been lead to believe is the reason you started your illegal activities to begin with. Is this correct?"

When Aoi responds, he does not do so with his usual carefree voice, but rather the commanding, regal tone of his dragon form. "This is indeed correct. I shall presume that the members of this court are wholly aware of the basic properties of these crystallized deposits of wind element, as well as their known behavior. Since you have the Professor's documents, I can also safely assume that you are aware of the rapidly approaching deadline for this crisis."

The princess nods in response. "Yes, we are aware. This does raise the question of why you chose not to approach us in regards to this issue beforehand. Had you done so, I have little doubt that we could have worked together in this regards, rather than against us."

"My partner and I had come to the conclusion that the legal processes would be an unacceptable loss of time, and may result in a number of wind stone nodes reaching a critical state before we can move to successfully disarm them. However..." The dragon casts a glance to the only other person in the room he deems worthy of note at the moment. "Our first contact with your nation's nobility happens to have been with that man in particular. While my partner's initial presence was still an egregious breach of your land's laws, he made no hostile moves when confronted by both that man and his guard and attempted to explain himself."

Quite a few eyes are on High Court Archambault now.

"The end result was that my partner was sliced clean through with a wind blade, destroying one of his lungs, shattering a number of his ribs, and nearly destroying his heart." The dragon casts another glance at the offending noble. "Were it not for my partner's own capabilities, he would have died then and there. I believe the only reason you are even alive at this stage is because despite your attempting murder, my partner had set his automatons to fight non-lethally."

"Any further interactions with this land's inhabitants were based on this initial near-fatal event. He has little trust for people such as yourselves." He resumes looking at the princess.

The princess' delicate features set themselves into a frown as she considers this. "You have given up on us prematurely, and after aggravating a landholder initially."

"To be fair, we are both unfamiliar with the Brimiric nations save for Albion, and even then we had no need to familiarize ourselves with its structure. Neither of us knew where this nation's seat of power is, and neither of us held any delusions of our ability to just waltz in and make ourselves known." Aoi points out similarly obvious points while feeling as though this event is marginally less than a complete waste of time. "We are unaffiliated with any nation that you recognize, backed by no seat of power or family, nor holding any distinction beyond using a kind of magic that your nobility is unfamiliar with."

"Furthermore, I am not human. I am not so naive to think that this would not be an issue."

It was not a comfortable thing to address as far as anyone present is concerned. Humanity has a generally negative relationship with non-human species, ranging from tolerance to outright hatred. For a transforming dragon to just show up and proclaim that wind stones will rip hunks out of the earth... it would most likely get laughed off at best if people got over the part about a talking dragon.

The other unspoken part is that everyone present knows that such a golden opportunity would not have been allowed to go untouched either. If this newcomer could rip the wind stones out of the earth despite the depths involved, what other materials could he retrieve? Granted, he could just teach the techniques he used and left it at that, and perhaps that would have saved on a second pass.

Of course, that didn't account for the resources required to even utilize said techniques in the first place.

And naturally, not one of the other court members actually stepped up to confirm or deny any of that, once again leaving it up to the princess to represent the opinion of all present despite knowing full well that many of those same nobles are clamming up precisely because the dragon is correct.

"That is true. With no recognition or background, this court would not have assembled to hear your proposal. You would most likely have had to somehow first make an appeal to the Research Academy, and hope that one of the researchers within working on the wind stone crisis took your information seriously enough to come to us." Henrietta nods while mentally counting the seconds it would take for one of the other High Court members to stop sitting on their laurels and start contributing. It would probably take until reparations before any of them started speaking up.

"To add to that." The dragon speaks up again. "Our operations were created with surgical precision in mind. While we did mine out the wind stones of numerous estates, we minimized the damage to the land as well as minimizing the damage to those who came to fight us. This being in spite of the fact that literally everyone past the first simply reinforced our earlier perception of this nation."

"Which was?" The princess asks.

"That you're a bunch of war-happy, glory-seeking jackasses who don't know when to leave well enough alone." Aoi drops out of his dragon voice and returns to his normal one.

A number of the court members look either offended, outraged, or cringe. Henrietta would have fallen into that last category if she were any less composed.

"And just to put it out there, I'm guessing that dear ol' Archie over there made _us_ out to be some kind of magic-wielding monsters and barbarians here to rape, pillage, and plunder because I personally blasted him clear back to his house." The dragon continues once the first surge of reactions tapers off, leading to another one. "Honestly, I should have just killed him. I had him _dead_ to rights."

Most of the court missed it, but the princess could have sworn the dragon just made some rather inappropriate attempt at humor.

Though she also couldn't help but notice that he had just openly stated his regret for letting an aggressor like that live.

"If you had, the situation you find yourself in would no doubt be far worse!" Another court member finally speaks up, though the dragon had not bothered with learning who it is.

"I don't know about that. If I explained the whole 'unprovoked murder attempt' during the appeal it might just have saved you guys eight months of fighting us, and eight months of us having to divert resources to fight back as opposed to ramping up our operations." Aoi simply shrugs.

"Why are we even bothering with this? It is clear the man is unrepentant!"

"You still stole our wealth out from under us!"

"I would expect a sub-human to be incapable of comprehending our laws."

" **Enough!** " Henrietta's commanding voice overpowers everyone else present, and is well-timed seeing as the dragon's stance appears to be leaning more toward 'making the loudmouths shut up by force.' "It is clear to me, and I should hope clear to a number of other people, that this is simply an unfortunate series of misunderstandings that have led to unacceptable consequences. That being said, these are consequences that must be dealt with."

"Like who's going to pay for all this?" The dragon spares a glance at the princess.

"Indeed. We have been keeping a running tally of the costs, and-" Henrietta starts, then squeaks in surprise when she notices that Aoi has gotten much closer. Too close. The guards snap to attention and the sound of chanting and pistols being drawn can be discerned.

He simply holds out a folded-up piece of paper, which she accepts. He then returns to his previous spot.

Henrietta unfolds the note while giving a hand motion for her guards to stand down. "...Eh? Is this some kind of...?"

"Well, if you're gonna demand that my partner and I pay for your damages, your nation can pay for ours." Aoi crosses his arms and looks annoyed. "Now, I'm not sure if we got the actual values exact, but that should give you an idea of what we lost in terms of amounts of your currency." He looks around at those assembled. "What? You're not the superior power here. Terms like this only get pushed onto the losing party, and you guys can't even reach our base of operations."

In truth, the list of damage from the Tristian side was rather brief. Most of the affected nobles weren't looking for just the relatively small, tidy sum that they would actually be entitled to in this case. A few wanted to take the opportunity to push as hard as possible. The list of damages and monetary cost on Aoi's side, however, made her blanch slightly. When Colonel Mazrin looks it over, he too looks concerned. Especially the part about costs of producing Water Stones for healing grievous wounds, or the limited number of automatons with Earth Stones installed in them to increase efficiency.

Even if one adds the stolen Wind Stones to Tristian's total, the two amounts would still be so close to one another that most people would shake their heads and not bother pushing at all. Especially since the princess knows full well that neither side is truly speaking from a position of power.

For those who know the dragon's capabilities, the simple fact that he's even bothering to remain here is a show of good faith.

"These listed materials and alloys... They are experimental, I take it?" Henrietta fishes for some explanation of why even the basic shock troops seem to cost so much.

Aoi scratches the back of his head. "They are. You wouldn't believe how many materials my partner had to go through before he could find an alloy that'd withstand repeated magic attacks and dragon's breath. The resulting combination isn't even that easy to manufacture either, but it's his standard for his automatons now." He then shrugs as he throws that bit out there. "Doesn't help things any when we can't recover them either."

On the one hand, the nobles in her court probably wouldn't stand for this in the slightest. A few seem to have reached a similar conclusion as herself, that antagonizing someone they still can't deal any meaningful blows to will not end well. Yet a few more look furious, that this 'plebeian' dare flip the arguments and accusations leveled against him back in their faces with a few of his own. Even the princess finds herself a bit bemused by the dragon's behavior, but she chalks it up to him simply not knowing how all of this works.

Unlike some of the more vocal court nobles, who see the dragon as being beneath them for various reasons.

"I see... The total costs for both our sides is great enough and roughly equal to one another, so it makes no sense for us to push our costs onto you when you can do the same to us just as readily. However, since you and your partner are wanted criminals in Gallia and Germania, we cannot afford to properly pardon you." In truth, the princess would much rather get this over with and get Aoi onto her side, but for the time being everyone in the room knows that to do so would potentially lead to disaster.

"Well, Germania I can probably do the same thing here with them. Gallia though..." Aoi trails off for a moment. "Well, that'd involve dealing with a psychopath of a king."

As much as many nobles would like to disagree and harp on the dragon's flippant description of King Joseph, everyone present is also fully aware that the King of Gallia is an incompetent fool at best. Appealing to him would likely be a waste of time without gaining some support first. Assuming it isn't a waste of time, period.

The fact that Gallia is a nearly undisputed superpower of a nation doesn't help either. Only Romalia can rival them in terms of military might and scholarly pursuits. The only reason Joseph doesn't just run roughshod over the other nations is a combination of Gallia being unable to fight every nation at once simultaneously, and because he's too incompetent to even run such a campaign to begin with.

Though Aoi's choice of words finally clicks in Henrietta's head. He didn't call him 'incompetent', he called him a 'psychopath.' As odd as King Joseph may behave, he never seems to dip into such territory. "Why do you refer to King Joseph as such?" She asks.

Aoi simply hums in thought for a moment. "Well, I could tell you, but I'd prefer we weren't overheard in here. Gallia's fishing for any excuse in the world to come after us, and if we're doing any of this 'peaceful exchange of information about another nation' kind of thing they may use that as an excuse. He's probably got eyes and ears all over the place."

"Then what do you propose?" Asks the princess.

Then the dragon came up with an idea. "Why, _this_ , of course!" He snaps his fingers, forming a portal beneath him... and a second one beneath the princess, and those closest to her.

Just like that, the princess was effectively kidnapped.


	14. Strongly-Worded Invitation

Blake sits at a table with his head in his hands, while Henrietta, Colonel Mazarin, and a couple of royal guards look either concerned or utterly confused. Aoi is off to the side hauling something in.

Out of the group of people present, Blake is the first to speak. "So what, pray-tell, made you think it was a good idea to kidnap the leader of a foreign power?"

"Well..." Aoi drops a machine on the ground next to said table and kicks it to turn it on. "It's a pretty simple train of thought. We can't be allies with you guys because there's... two, maybe three nations that'd come down on you if you officially forgave us, right?" He looks to the impromptu 'guests' cheerfully.

"That is indeed correct. Albion's current issues being where you think the third nation would come from?" Mazarin is the first to respond.

"Basically, yeah. So if I can't talk to you guys on peaceful, reasonable terms, then I mask the peaceful, reasonable talk with an aggressive act! Since I need to talk to people who actually seem to know what they're doing, I figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to just straight-up grab you lot. Then when we're done here, I can find a castle or some other fortification to take you guys to, grandstand a bit as a villain, and your people can come rescue you!"

"Assuming Tristain's nobility isn't comprised entirely of vultures." Blake's opinion of the nation is still low, apparently.

"Aw, come on! A dragon kidnaps a princess, holes up in a castle, dares the greatest champions of the land to attack, and is ultimately slain or driven away by a brave hero or heroine. Then they carry the princess home bridal-style! It's a classic fairy tale setup!" Aoi ticks the setup steps off on his fingers before smacking a fist onto his open hand, crossing his arms in annoyance after that over his partner's dismissive tone. "Plus, the horde of gold coins and jewels is completely redundant because the princess herself is a treasure!"

"Eh...?" Henrietta blushes faintly while being utterly bewildered by the dragon's logic. She doesn't speak up largely because she's been getting dragged along with the flow since she got here.

"I swear, if I were really capable of it you'd be giving me a headache. Don't you think that's laying it on a little thick for your first meeting?" Blake gets up and starts the machine up properly, which projects a holographic display on the table.

"Not really, Henrietta seems like the type of young princess who'd have to beat suitors off with a stick." The dragon offers seats to the other people present, though the guards opt to remain standing for obvious reasons. "Plus this is technically our second meeting, because a stuffy courtroom requires a different mindset than a tropical archipelago."

"My apologies. Sometimes Aoi is less a dragon and more a walking tornado." Blake manages to get out to the two seated individuals.

"That is quite alright, though I wish he had chosen a different form of approach. This move will no doubt cause a great deal of confusion and chaos in its wake." Mazrin's response seems just as pessimistic as Blake's overall outlook, though his seems to be born of experience.

"He appears to be an energetic and honest individual. I confess that it is actually refreshing to deal with someone so direct for once." The Princess admits, her usual grace and poise returning to her gradually.

Aoi simply shrugs. "I'll tell you what I told Louise. I'm not the first guy you'd want to go to for finesse, or even the third. A dragon should be wise, but also still capable of smashing apart deception!"

"You would not be popular in the political scene then." Mazarin manages a small smile when he hears that.

"I hope not! Politics is all about compromises, creating rules and laws... don't get me wrong, those are important, it's just when you get to the cloak and dagger stuff where everyone stops thinking that the rules apply to them that makes me want to retch." The dragon waves his hand in annoyance. "I didn't even want to bother with your court, but I needed to make a show of good faith, so..."

"I do believe we're starting to get off-topic here, however. Mr. Aoi, you referred to King Joseph of Gallia as a 'psychopath.' We among the Brimiric nations refer to him as incompetent, normally. Given how Dutchess Valliere's report contained references to your speaking about your initial dealings with the nation, I must ask why you think of the man as such." Henrietta works to get the conversation back on track now that the first round of shock has worn off.

"Gallia was the first nation we actually approached with this issue. The Mad King heard us out once we finally tracked down his seat of power and presented our findings, but he had no interest in allowing us to stop the process. He wished for us to accelerate it." Blake provides grimly.

Aoi gets the holographic projection running correctly, providing the recorded playbacks of what transpired at the time. "He wanted to get the wind stones to tear chunks out of the earth and then take advantage of the situation to drop the floating nodes everywhere. Ideally by detonating the floating nodes once they were over key population centers." The dragon leans against the projection machine as he continues. "We had no interest in doing that, but we rigged the node we exposed to blow anyway. Since we more or less did what he asked, he didn't question it."

"And then some time later, you detonated said wind stone node, causing the dust storm that plagued the land for the better part of a week?" Mazarin interrupts with a not meaningless point.

"Well, we're getting to that." Aoi sheepishly scratches the back of his head. "See, we only did that as an insurance policy. We didn't actually want to have to do that."

"Once we made it clear that we had no intention of doing as Joseph asked, he immediately decided that he could make use of our machinery and decided to have his army attack us. When that proved insufficient, his daughter sicced her quartet of hired mercenaries on us." The mage speaks plainly, though he treats the whole thing as being more of an annoyance than anything else. "Said mercenaries just happened to be four elves who specialize in each of the four primary elements. I don't remember specifics, especially when Aoi managed to smash the heavy-set one through a wall."

"Well, you were kinda directing shock troops, openings gates, keeping track of where we were going, and defending yourself simultaneously." Aoi lists off a number of things in response. "Granted, I would've thought bullet-based weapons would work better. It's depressing when one of your primary forms of defense can just get diverted or blocked by literally anyone with a stick and a little magical know-how."

"And Cold Steel is neither cheap nor easy to manufacture in quantities that would be sufficient for large-scale battles." Blake adds on in an annoyed tone.

"Elves have always had a poor relationship with the Brimiric nations. How in the world did King Joseph manage to obtain their services?" Henrietta frowns while tapping her finger on the table, apparently stumped by this new development.

"I have no idea. I just know that wasn't the end of it. Apparently they were running out of options, so one of the two whackjobs sent Charlotte de Gallia after us." Aoi continues, explaining further. "She told me later on that they sent her in specifically to either succeed or die trying, and while she is good, she's no Karin."

"Furthermore, they had her mother, who had previously been drugged into insanity, locked up in a castle known as Alhambra, I think? Regardless of the name, that's where the young princess was taken too when we defeated her." Blake recalls that particular set of information with notable distaste. "Had it not been for Charlotte's dragon familiar coming to us, neither of the two women would be alive right now."

"There was another elf stationed there, but since it was just one elf against me in this form..." Aoi winks, letting the memories of eight months worth of combat reports and his own reputation fill in the blanks.

"Alhambra castle lost about fifty-five percent of its structural integrity. Aoi claims it was less, and admittedly we didn't stick around to survey the damage. We had no idea how long the elf would remain unconscious for, so we emphasized the extraction of Charlotte and Ophelia de Gallia. Both have been relocated here and given their own quarters, and mercifully two of our own contacts were able to undo the latter's insanity in full about two months ago." The mage finishes up that side of the story, and allows the dragon to finish up his.

"That was the point where we decided to consider Gallia a lost cause until we got more forces for a direct confrontation, so we set off the node we rigged and used the resulting chaos to withdraw in full. Amazing what a natural disaster can do to allow an escape." As much as the dragon may have a distaste for using the node like that, he does seem pleased with the end result.

"...This is incredibly difficult to believe, though given what I have seen and experienced thus far I cannot help but trust your word." Henrietta speaks up a minute or two afterward. "Please, you must go to Pope Vittorio with this information. Romalia is the second-strongest nation out of the five major ones, and the only one that can match Gallia in a direct confrontation. Tristain's military might is insufficient to fight such a force, and even with Germania's assistance we may fail."

"Princess, Albion is one of our allies as well. Albeit one suffering from a rebellion." Mazarin chimes in with another piece of information.

"Indeed... if the rebellion succeeds we will need to concern ourselves with them as well." Herietta rests both hands in her lap and lowers her head slightly, then looks to the dragon once again. "Though now that the bulk of that session is done with, I thought I heard you mention Louise. Are you perhaps referring to Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere?"

Aoi scratches his chin in thought. "Wavy pinkish hair, matching eyes, small stature, slender frame, slightly too stuffy for her own good, and a penchant for spellcasting mishaps?"

"That is indeed her." The Princess nods.

"Yeah, I know her. She summoned me originally, but I declined to actually contract with her considering my, uh, position in things." Aoi shrugs sheepishly.

"A wise choice, all considering." Concedes the princess. "I know that it is ultimately irrelevant to the topic at hand, but is she well?"

"Aside from having a near panic attack from her mother fighting Aoi to a standstill and having her hopes and dreams cruelly crushed one after the other through sheer misfortune alone, she's doing surprisingly well." Blake chimes in before Aoi can respond.

Henrietta deflates a bit upon hearing that.

"So I decided to bring her here too!" Aoi declares.

"Karin is going to kill you." Blake states flatly.

"Well, that's why I figured it wouldn't be that much worse to kidnap Henrietta too." For someone courting disaster, the dragon is all smiles.

"Correction, Karin would most likely not rest until she's figured out a way to kill you twice." The mage once again covers his face in his hands.

"Welp, disregarding impending doom, I've kinda been a terrible host so far. Would any of you like to get something to eat? Any places you want to see? This archipelago's even got a coral reef if you're in the mood for sightseeing!" The dragon's lack of concern for his mortality could easily be considered either born of stupidity or bravery. Perhaps both. "And don't sweat the local food if you are hungry, we've got remedies and cures for upset stomachs and allergic reactions too."

Henrietta and Colonel Mazarin share a glance over the surreal situation. The two conclude that only Aoi would treat a kidnapping scenario as if it were nothing more than an enforced vacation.

"Well, I would not reject your hospitality, and if Louise is present I would not mind seeing her either." Henrietta finally responds.

Though it will only be for a brief time, the princess is secretly glad that she is relieved of her responsibilities for a little while.


	15. Impromptu Reunion

To say that Louise didn't expect her childhood friend to be in the same archipelago as herself, let alone on the same island, is something of a complete understatement. That the same childhood friend practically faceplanted the pinkette into her chest for comfort was even more unexpected, and left her a blushing, stammering mess upon finding herself on the receiving end of such a greeting. Partially because of their difference in status, partially because she may not be entirely sure what to feel in regards to Henrietta.

"W-w-what do you _mean_ he kidnapped you?!" Louise felt that her own issues are unimportant in the face of the princess being kidnapped, despite the fact that said princess is remarkably calm about the whole situation.

"Do not worry, Louise. It was little more than an act meant to place us both away from prying ears. Admittedly, it worked far better than anything I would have been able to produce." Henrietta does not see fit to let one of her only friends go just yet, and continues to hold her. "Considering what he had to say, I am glad that he did so. It appears that King Joseph may only look the fool."

"That just makes your life harder, doesn't it, princess?" Asks the pinkette, her earlier rage shelved by her friend's troubles.

"Indeed. Gallia may very well be undisputed in its strength now, and we have neither the allies nor the capability to fight them ourselves. I'll need to somehow convince the noble families to help strengthen our military, especially considering that Albion's rebellion has been going too well lately." The princess glances to the side as her enthusiasm deflates further, only for her to stare Louise in the face while pouting. "Though really, are we not friends? There isn't even anyone around, Louise. You don't have to be so formal!"

The sudden change is enough to make the pinkette squeak in surprise. "Yes, we are friends! I'm sorry, I just..." And she finds herself being held to her friend's chest again and heats up even more. It's one thing for her sister to do this, due to her being family, it's another entirely for the princess and soon to be queen herself doing something so intimate in public!

Henrietta simply finds the whole thing amusing, and giggles into her hand a bit. " _Relax_ , Louise. There is no court to worry about here, no stuffy court nobles to judge us or to plot against us for being close for a while. I would also find it hard to believe that your mother could hear us here." She sighs contentedly when the pinkette finally stops shivering and hugs her back. "I also wanted to talk to you and see how you are doing, since I so rarely get the chance nowadays."

"I'm fine!" The pinkette squeaks, her face red as a cherry. "I mean, things haven't been going the best way lately but my troubles are nothing compared to yours!" She doesn't flinch in the face of her friend's disbelieving and worried expression, but she does feel her resistance eroding away until she can't take it anymore. "Fine! My summon wouldn't contract with me, I haven't improved in magic at all, Wardes may be on his way toward getting arrested, Eleanor _still_ thinks I'm wasting my time at the Academy, and I just _know_ I'm going to get swept under the rug soon...!"

The princess simply listens to her friend, allowing the pinkette to pour her heart out and let her worries be known without speaking or judging. She does stroke her friend's long, wavy hair to help support her, much as she did in the past when she became upset. "If worse comes to worst, Louise, and you find yourself rejected by everyone around you, I will take you in. You are one of my few true, precious friends, and I could no more bear to lose you than I could bear to fail my duties."

Louise simply breaks down crying in response, partly out of sorrow and partly out of joy. The two emotions blending together into a bittersweet mix that overwhelms her and leaves her at a loss for words. It will take her some time before she finally calms down.

"Wardes will not be arrested, I do not think. He was merely the messenger that made Blake and Aoi aware of our plight, and we have no evidence of his involvement with them past that." Henrietta finally offers. "As for Mr. Aoi, I am similarly unsure of how much longer he will remain a 'criminal' in the eyes of Tristain. While he violated our laws knowingly, he did so for the right reasons. If he can gain the Pope's backing in dealing with this crisis, every nation will have no choice but to accept what he has done, and will continue to do for our sake."

"B-but what about King Joseph?" Louise finally asks, her voice cracking slightly as she does so.

Henrietta frowns in response, but not at the pinkette. "I believe there is no predicting that man anymore. Those of us in the royalty have merely assumed that he is an incompetent prettyboy who is a little too good at digging up secrets best left buried. Given what I have heard, that may very well be nothing more than an elaborate act." She then sighs. "Further complicating matters is his acquiring the services of elves. For him to have done so must mean that he is preparing to betray the other nations, as not one of us would ever condone allying with them."

The princess rubs her chin in thought as she continues to consider the evidence. "Though it is similarly odd that they would even be willing to listen to him to begin with. I was under the impression that elves hate humans and wish for nothing less than our extinction. The only other exception I am aware of is an Albionian Archduke who was stripped of his name, title, and life upon having been found to have taken an elven mistress, and even then only because King Wales chose to make it a public event and spread word as far as he could." It was both posturing over the apparent slaying of an elf, and a message being sent to all those who would consider consorting with the sub-human menace.

Yet for all the bluster, King Wales had failed to produce an actual elven body to substantiate his claim. There is serious doubt as to whether or not his men actually killed one, or if it had merely escaped after fighting off its aggressors. Furthermore, the act had whipped his populace up into a frothing, elven-hating frenzy that feels that it has been long overdue for another invasion of the elven lands.

Given how it has led to the Reconquista rebellion, and how the King himself is on the brink of defeat, it was a poorly thought-out plan.

Though it makes the princess think a bit more. It didn't take much to put two and two together and connect the Purge of Sachen-Gotha with the Archduke's apparent heresy and betrayal, and if an elf was involved in that, and a certain dragon and earth mage pair made their appearance at roughly that time in that area...

 _No, not roughly._ Thinks the princess as she furrows her brow in thought. _The very first attack was at the tail end of the Purge. ...Mr. Blake does not have an elf's ears, nor an elf's build, but perhaps he may know something more than he has seen fit to speak of.  
_  
"H-Henrietta?" Louise finally speaks up, apparently having plucked up the courage to both speak to her superior and use her actual name.

"Ah, Louise! It is good to hear you using my name." The princess' train of thought snaps to a grinding halt for a moment as she considers the small, vulnerable girl in her arms. "My apologies as well, it appears as though I am not as far out of my political mode as I thought I was."

"I was simply concerned, Henrietta. This is... this is nice too, just being able to cuddle like this." The young, petite, vulnerable, innocent girl known as Louise, seeking comfort and reassurance in the arms of one of her only friends.

Were Henrietta born a prince instead of a princess, she would have snatched up Louise in a heartbeat long ago, failure as a mage or no. "Then we shall remain like this for a while more. When you are ready, I believe that I have a new line of inquiry for Mr. Blake and Mr. Aoi."

Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, Henrietta guessed that it isn't actually noon here, but rather that the dragon and the mage are accommodating the needs and wants of their guests accordingly. She bases that assumption mostly off of the fact that her meal schedule is fairly rigid since her duties tend to take up her entire day, and if she's starting to get hungry after having breakfast, it must be close to noon in Tristain.

A crude way of estimating time, but a convenient one if she ever finds herself travelling long distances.

Though the spread of food before her can't be helping matters any either. There are a large number of fruits she is simply unfamiliar with, both chilled and whole, sliced, or incorporated into a dish of some kind, fish of varieties she cannot identify based on their flesh alone, though she could swear she smells boar as well. A fair variety of greens and vegetables to boot, which she feels is good. The fruit juice is an interesting touch as well.

The fact that there's a couple kinds of medicine in easy reach is a little unsettling, or really it would have been if Aoi hadn't taken the time to explain why he took the precaution. It wasn't that he cooks are of poor quality or that the food itself is inherently toxic, but rather that a given human is used to eating the kinds of food and water available that are commonly found in the area in which they live. By consuming those foods and drink so often, the body can grow to tolerate a certain level of abuse, such as the food in question being a bit past its expiration date, being of poor quality, or the water having a certain level of contamination.

However, any foreign land is going to differ in the composition of its foods and available water, and there are simply few to no ways to know what you can or cannot tolerate beforehand. Ergo, he recommended that his guests take it slow and easy at first. Allow yourself to be picky, allow yourself to try out only what you want in the quantities you want, and don't sweat decorum as no one here will judge.

Eating outdoors in the warm tropical sun is also something of a new experience. Though thankfully Blake provided large beach umbrellas to help provide shaded areas. Between herself, the Cardinal, the couple of guards, and Louise, it feels like some odd mix of a casual atmosphere and a formal one. Though she notes that her group is not the only one seated here. Princess Charlotte de Gallia, Ophelia de Gallia are seated at a different end, chatting happily with one another while an older, more voluptuous woman sits on Charlotte's other side and interjects periodically. The princess notes that said older woman doesn't seem to act her age, and aside from the hair color does not seem to be related to the Gallian women. The body structures are simply too different.

Seated near them are another three women, one mature woman with long green hair, a slightly older one with blond hair, a thinner frame and a motherly presence to her, and a much younger girl with hair and physical features that matches and mostly matches the oldest woman of the three, and... The princess had to tear her eyes away from the youngest girl's chest, which is quite frankly absurdly large and seems to jiggle slightly with even the tiniest motion.

She does catch the fact that both blond women are wearing sunhats, which while appropriate for the setting since they aren't sitting in the shade, does make the princess somewhat suspicious.

Though she is honestly more than a little surprised that one of Louise's older sisters also appears to have been invited here. Judging from the fact that she appears to have the same kind of naturally pink hair and a more mature body, she has to guess that this is Cattleya. As for Eleanor...

The eldest and apparently most excitable out of the three is currently chasing Aoi around with a a large wooden pole. The princess takes a bite of a particularly mouthwatering fish fillet as she remembers that she was 'kidnapped' and ergo anyone loyal to the crown would probably be doing exactly that if given half the chance if they didn't know how their princess is being treated.

"If it were not for the fact that Tristain would be invaded if we pardoned you, Mr. Blake, I would make the request to come eat here periodically. The views are beautiful, the food is exotic and well-made, and the atmosphere is infinitely less stressful." She then takes a sip of what had been described to her as a fruit punch, or rather a drink composed of numerous complementary fruit juices. It's a little iffy for her tastes, but it would be a shame to let it go to waste. "I shall have to give my respects to the chefs."

"Well, the chefs are eating here at the moment too, so that would be easy." Blake himself is indulging a little more than most, though ceases eating to talk. "Ophelia's responsible for most of the chilled dishes, while Matilda, Tiffania, and Shajal handled the bulk of the rest. Aoi prepares the desserts. He has a massive sweet tooth and a surprisingly refined taste that makes him a natural at it."

The guards tense, Mazarin raises an eyebrow, and Henrietta looks mildly shocked, but at the same time isn't. "Shajal? Hm. She is an elf, I take it?"

"She is. Before you say anything else though, she is no more loved by her own people than she is by yours. The same goes double for her daughter." Blake notes that Shajal and Tiffania have both caught wind of where the subject is heading, and the former is keeping one ear open subtly while the latter looks crestfallen.

Henrietta pauses for a moment while motioning for her guards to stand down once more. "If it is not too much trouble, may I inquire as to why that is?"

Blake looks to the motherly elf, who nods subtly in turn. "I apologize for answering a question with another question, but how familiar are you with the Slaughter of Sachen-Gotha?"

"Very. King Wales spared no effort in spreading the word of that event. It took perhaps a week at most for every Brimiric nation to have at least heard of it, and since the first reports of your appearance in Albion are tied to the event, I have had access to the relevant reports as well." The princess feels she needs to maneuver around this conversation carefully, as there are any number of things that could go wrong with it. She is not surprised by the differing terminology this time, however. One man's savior is another man's oppressor, as the saying goes.

"Then this will be brief. Shajal came to love the Archduke who was executed after the slaughter, who genuinely reciprocated her feelings, when she first came to Albion. While most elves claim that they do not truly hate the humans of the Brimiric nations, they don't exactly permit interracial marriages either due to their views on humans. When Shajal chose her love over her duty, she forsook her own people in the process." Blake tries to explain as diplomatically as possible. "She told me outright that she fully expected to be killed by either the humans, or her own kind when they found her."

While it doesn't completely alleviate the concerns of the guests, it does give them all something to chew on other than the food. The fact of the matter is that this is a potentially dangerous scenario to be in, but despite their preconceptions everyone is simply... peaceful. Sympathetic, even. "Then Tiffania is a half-elf." Cardinal Mazarin states solemnly.

Blake nods. "She is. Everything that goes for Shajal goes double for her."

Henrietta takes a few minutes to run through what she has been told in her mind.

Mazarin, however, continues the discussion. "Should you make an appeal to Pope Vittorio, I would recommend that you do not bring up either of them. Though you are acting for the good of all of Halkeginia, there are limits as to what the Church will accept."

"I would ideally hope to keep that institution well at arm's length, as it has no business here." The mage states simply before drinking some plain water. "It should be obvious, but Aoi and I are not people hailing from the Brimiric lands, and as such we do not have your beliefs, nor do we judge others as you do. Neither of us have any interest in bringing such foreign views to our home. I will not bring Shajal or Tiffania up in any such discussion, and if the church presses I will react accordingly."

"I am not suggesting that you do, simply that you bear this in mind."

Henrietta sighs. "Past that, I can understand why you are reluctant to appear under normal circumstances. Just as we cannot pardon you just yet, you are a target for multiple nations."

"Potentially all of them, if I don't play my cards right. If I have to try and take on all of them, I will simply pull out and leave you to your fates." Blake states grimly.

Eleanor chose then to re-appear and smacks Blake in the back of the head with her free hand, looking markedly disheveled. "You will do **NO** such thing! You have the ability to appear anywhere, at any time, with no warning, and I've _studied_ your mining techniques! You don't even need more than a single surface entrance, you just create multiple to save on resources!" She pulls Blake's chair around to make him face her. "And if I'm not mistaken, once you've made the tunnels, you can also appear directly inside them." She scowls at the young man.

"We don't even need the Pope's approval for this. You don't even need to approach any of us, or put on a show." The eldest daughter crosses her arms and furrows her brow while trying to figure out. "In fact, all of this is moronic! You are unburdened by government processes, the church, money, or anything else! Are you just worried about what we'll think about you?!"

It's at this point that Ophelia makes herself known. "It's because he's assisting my daughter and I. It's Joseph. He needs to be stopped, and everyone here knows that." She rises from her seat, and stands at Blake's side. "Blake can end the Wind Stone crisis on his own without ever being known, this is true. However, by making himself known like this he can eventually lead to the Brimiric nations uniting together. Joseph, however, will never abide by this and expose himself."

"You intend to force him to act against a unified force." Mazarin interjects.

"Joseph is a broken man who feels nothing. He will commit atrocity after atrocity in the hopes that he will feel something, but even after killing his brother, poisoning me, and sending his niece on suicide mission after suicide mission, he still feels nothing." She looks over the Tristain representatives. "I do not wish to see the lengths he'll go, the depths he'll sink to in his mad quest. Charlotte explained some of what he's done to Blake when he helped rescue her, and he agreed to assist her, then me as well."

"...You really aren't smart altruists, are you." Eleanor states as she looks at Blake.

"We really aren't." The mage rolls his eyes.


	16. Gilded Cage

Henrietta is starting to feel like she isn't staring down a rabbit hole so much as an abyss. First it was her nation being attacked by an opponent they couldn't stop, then it turns out that they have a legitimate reason for doing what they did, and now it turns out that these same people are attempting to bring down the Gallian government. Or at the very least, stop King Joseph. A king, she notes, who has betrayed the Brimiric nations because of his feeling... empty.

It is simply so far beyond anything she expected to hear that she doesn't know how to respond, and with Ophelia de Gallia backing up that claim there is little doubt in her mind that Romalia could be convinced to perform an Inquisition.

All of this on top of the Reconquista rebellion that's dangerously close to toppling the current Albion government. She isn't even sure how that movement built up enough steam to overwhelm King Wales' ability to deal with it, but the fact of the matter is that it has. On top of that, if the Reconquista isn't satisfied with just conquering Albion, she knows full well that her own nation is an incredibly tempting target. Too small to put up much of a fight, has the weakest governing structure of the five nations as of current, and an old military that is in desperate need of being overhauled.

And now she has to worry about the Mad King and what he'll do as well.

The young princess rubs her temples as she sits on a bench overlooking the ocean. The whole situation is looking more and more absurd by the minute, and she can barely keep up.

She can't forget about the fact that 'officially' she's been kidnapped as well, yet 'oh by the way the whole thing is just an elaborate act to let you in on just how messed up things are.'

"You, uh, doing okay, princess?" Asks the dragon as he comes over. "I scouted out a good spot to stage part two of this thing."

"I am... honestly feeling a touch overwhelmed by all this. Even with Cardinal Mazarin's support and guidance, it feels as though I am staring up at giants who are simply deciding when best to bring down their fists on me." She doesn't make eye contact, and with everyone else busy she feels no need to keep up appearances. Aoi is a dragon, after all, what does he care about decorum? "This on top of a number of other issues, such as things like an upcoming political marriage between myself and the King of Germania to cement an alliance."

"A marriage that just so happens to be threatened by the fact that Prince Wales of Albion and I have exchanged love letters in the past. I have destroyed the ones I have, but I have not been able to send any sort of messenger to Wales to convince him to do the same." The princess sits upright as she speaks, trying to find some balance between comfort and being proper.

"...Why would the King of Germania care about that? A past love doesn't really affect anything." Aoi asks with a puzzled expression.

Henrietta sighs. "I envy your innocence and freedom, Mr. Aoi. Were I a weaker woman, I would ask you to not return me to Tristain at all."

"Er..." The dragon doesn't quite know how to respond to that.

"That aside, if the letters between Wales and I were to come to light, those who wish to sabotage the marriage could use them to bring my loyalty and devotion into question." Henrietta states bitterly. "Women in our society must remain unsullied before marriage, Mr. Aoi, and I myself face incredible pressure to not only remain that way for real, but to maintain the appearance of such. My every move is observed, scrutinized, and criticized by the nobility and commoners alike. Little about my life is private, and few people care about me outside of my role."

Picking up on the fact that Aoi is playing the role of a good listener, the princess continues. "My own people often regard me as a weak queen who was shoved into the role too early, that I am a silly little girl due to my age, and that I cannot possibly lead Tristain to prosperity. You saw how the court nobles act, Mr. Aoi. Were it my mother or my father, they would not have dared to erupt in such a way. Yet since they see me as weak, they feel that they can walk all over me, or at least test the waters."

Henrietta toys with her wand a little when she says the word 'waters', as if to silently say just what she'd like to do in response. She then offers a small smile. "Though you have slammed your foot squarely between their collective legs, however unintentional that was. I had no intention of forcing you into our court to stand trial, but rather to attempt to approach you under more neutral conditions to speak with you. However, the court nobles were clamoring for revenge for what you have done, and were blind to simple truths."

"Truths like you being a teleporting, laser-breathing wind dragon who could just do something bold and rash when pushed by those with no actual power over you. Like, say, kidnapping a princess?" The princess' mood seems to be turning around somewhat now. "I was against the idea, as was Cardinal Mazarin, but I had to placate them. Now the metaphorical egg is on their faces for once. Even better, they cannot take full advantage of my absence without making it look as though they were working in collaboration with you, or were planning for this result from the start. It would be a disaster, and they know it."

"Feeling a bit better?" Asks the dragon once the princess finishes.

"Indeed. It's nice to be able to speak and act freely for once." Her stance has relaxed considerably from before, but there's still a slight tense edge to her.

A minute or two later and Aoi finally manages to speak again. "Right, I wanted to see how you were doing first, but I also came over here to ask you a favor in regards to Louise."

The name of her friend being dropped like that catches the young princess' attention. "I suppose that depends on what it is."

"Well, since we're already this far down the rabbit hole anyway I might as well speak freely about it. Wardes' did some research into Louise's inability to cast spells, and since I've been keeping an eye on her when he can't, he shared his theory with me. Namely, that Louise's element may very well be the Void." Aoi scratches the back of his head. "Now, I know that sounds bonkers..."

"Mr. Aoi." Henrietta's voice takes a commanding tone, which causes the dragon to flinch. "I am not mad at you, I want to warn you. Do not speak of this while in Halkeginia. If Louise is indeed a Void mage, there are no shortage of vultures who would pick her apart if they knew. We also cannot count on Romalia leaving her be if word reaches them. That being said, please continue."

"A-alright. Well, Wardes told me there'd be a really easy way to test her. We'd need a Void artifact, and one of the four elemental ruby rings. He also told me that you'd likely have one of them, and we've got the Founder's Music Box..."

Henrietta's eyes went wide. "How did you get a hold of that?! The Founder's artifacts are sacred, holy things protected by the kings and queens of the nations themselves! They, along with the elemental ruby rings, are proof of one's right to rule!"

"Apparently that Archduke that got executed got a hold of it somehow, and it wound up being a gift to Tiffi. She brought it with her when we evacuated her, Shajal, and Matilda." Aoi manages to explain calmly.

Henrietta simply facepalms. "No wonder the Reconquista is gaining so much steam."

"Well, sacrilege aside..."

"My apologies, yes, please take me to see my friend once more. I will help her."


	17. Test Phase

Tiffania sets up the small, unassuming music box next to Louise as the pinkette puts on the Water Ruby ring Henrietta loaned her for the test. Both girls are noticeably nervous, but at the same time excited for their own reasons. While the half-elf hasn't had much time to interact with Louise, she has high hopes in regards to not just her, but everyone who's come through so far. Despite the initial rough hiccups, her mother's worries about her being unable to make friends with anyone wound up being unnecessary. Ophelia all but became an aunt to her, and Charlotte seems to have more or less accepted her.

Louise is still in the 'nervous around the heretical by nature person' phase, but that doesn't bother Tiffania. She simply wants to help this girl. "It's been a long time since I've listened to this." She attempts to break the ice while the others wait. "It's something only I've been able to listen to in the past, but I'm glad to know that someone else might be able to enjoy it too."

The pinkette, on the other hand, is just plain excited that she may finally have an explanation as to why she could never cast spells to start with. When Wardes approached her with the idea, she had denied it vehemently since it is heretical to even _claim_ that one is a wielder of the holy Void. Should she be one, she could... well, she already knows what could happen to her. "What does it sound like?" She asks.

"I can't really describe it, plus it's been a while so I don't remember it clearly." Tiffania admits as she takes a seat next to the pinkette. She and Louise place one hand each on the Founder's Music Box, with the former doing so with a casual familiarity and the latter doing so with nervous reverence. The half-elf gives the pinkette a comforting smile, then the two open the lid together and begin to listen to a song that only they can hear.

-

Henrietta, Mazarin, Wardes... virtually everyone else present on the island is waiting for the two to be done, and to provide some scrap of truth as to whether or not the Void is really the answer in this case. The Viscount is the first to speak, but he does so quietly so as to not disturb the two, even though they are some distance away. "Should I be correct, there will be no outward changes, no obvious signs of her awakening to her true element. If she learns a spell from this, she will need to cast it as proof."

"Hmph, to think the runt may very well be a Void mage. I imagine that she just won't be able to resist rubbing it in my face should you be right, Viscount." Eleanor is both happy and annoyed by this, though in her case she is happy for her sister and annoyed at herself for having written the pinkette off just as nearly everyone else had.

Cattleya puts a hand on her sister's. "I do not think Louise would behave like that for long. She is a sweet, kind girl should you take the time to get to know her."

Wardes simply closes his eyes and smiles. "Indeed, the girl has simply had to endure a great deal more pressure than a noble such as herself should have. That her interactions with others are tinged in such a way is understandable."

"It is fortunate that she is discovering her true role then. That my little girl can also discover the truth about her own as well at the same time is wonderful to see." Shajal sits off to the side slightly, her own nervousness showing somewhat even as she continues to speak. "Though I wish it were not the Void. It will cause complications." She speaks in a mildly saddened tone.

"Right, the whole 'Chruch' thing." Aoi leans back against a convenient palm tree. "I'm not sure they'd be dumb enough to just up and try and execute her when she's under my protection. I'd love to see what good their gods are when I come knocking if they try it."

"Let's hold off on the one-man siege of a foreign power, shall we?" Blake at the very least seems to have a bit more common sense in the matter. "Should they try anything, they cannot deny the truth so long as those two girls provide it."

"And with the two of you offering your protection, it will be hard for anyone to do anything to them." Though it is slightly premature, Henrietta expresses her own relief as well. She taps her lips after saying that as she muses once more. "Speaking of which, I should approach Louise about being my maid of honor at my wedding when it is closer to the agreed-upon time. The Founder's Prayer Book could very well hold secrets as well, and it can double as a book upon which one can write blessings."

"A clever double use, your Highness." Wardes is quick to compliment the princess' thought process.

"As a Void mage, the young Ms. Valliere would be permitted to use the Prayer Book one way or the other. For once, subtlety may be unnecessary." Cardinal Mazarin chimes in. "Not to mention that a legitimate Void mage could be interpreted as a blessing from the Founder himself, which would help cement your position, your Highness."

"Less than five minutes into this and we are already speaking of the various ways we can use the poor girl. Truly, we are horrible people." Henrietta shakes her head, though it's hard to tell if she's amused or legitimately horrified at herself.

"At the very least, these will benefit her as much as you, your Highness." The Cardinal sees fit to point that bit out. "The court nobles will also be less likely to grouse about your family and the Valliere's being so close. Envious, yes, but now there is good reason to keep them closer than most."

Cattleya can't help but smile a kind yet mischievous smile, the sort she only wears when she's thinking of something that would embarrass someone else.

Eleanor, on the other hand, lightly baps her. "No, bad Cattleya."

"But big siste~r!" The middle daughter of the three whines as she's denied the chance. Although she may not have taken it anyway since she has to afford Henrietta her respect.

"An arranged marriage between Louise and Henrietta is out of the question!" The eldest daughter proves her ability to guess at her younger sister's train of thought, only to notice that she did indeed say that out loud. She freezes, then slowly sinks back into her seat and tries to appear smaller than she actually is when she notices that all eyes are on her and her sister.

Henrietta, to her credit, simply blushes and doesn't pursue the thought.

Surprisingly, Wardes is the next to actually respond, with him rubbing his beard as he does so. "Were Louise born a man instead of a woman, that idea may have merit."

"We could probably devise something to help with that if you need that marriage to produce an heir!" Aoi says a little louder than necessary.

The poor Princess chokes and buries her head in her hands, her face a deep red now.

Cattleya clasps her hands together while staring at the dragon with a beaming smile, happy to see that she knows of a kindred spirit.

Cardinal Mazarin facepalms in response. "Bear in mind that any such thing will no doubt lead to an Inquisition, Mr. Aoi. Such an idea is untested and alien in our culture."

Eleanor's own embarrassment seems to have been magnified several times. "Dear Founder, there's two of them..."

The gathering of people turns into a chaotic conversation after that, just in time for Louise and Tiffania to approach them.

Blake approaches them in turn. "Did you hear anything, Ms. Valliere?"

"Ah, I did! I believe that I may have learned something I can use from it as well." Louise looks genuinely happy for once, her presence practically radiating. "It might have only been in my head, but I could swear that someone said I learned Mind Shock."

Tiffania nods in agreement. "I could hear him too. You can definitely use a spell now, Louise!"

"Shall I set up a few target dummies?" Offers the mage before looking at the small crowd. "I believe we have dummies, but not of the target variety."

"Louise isn't the type to joke around like that, Blake..." Tiffania points out.

"Here, these will do. They have basic artificial intelligence, if Louise's spell is anything like Tiffi's Mind Wipe, it should affect them noticeably too." Matilda finally makes herself known, having slipped off prior to prepare a few targets. "Though maybe we ought to change spots. Tiffi's own power is nothing to scoff at as is, so a noble girl who's been pent up most of her life may be something to worry about."

"Indeed. I should be able to get up some kind of protection within the next... ten, fifteen minutes tops." The mage the looks to the two young girls. "And congratulations, Ms. Valliere. It looks like your fortune has already begun to reverse."

Louise, to her credit, managed to hold in her excitement and nod.


	18. Overdue Progress

Between the lack of judgmental nobles around and her own newly-discovered ability to cast Void magic, Louise finds herself unable to hold back as she casts her one spell on the various target dummies again and again. Each time she does so, one of the targets lurches in response despite not taking any visible signs of damage. Blake assured her that they are in fact having their 'minds' affected by this, typically by means of a sudden and violent mental shock that disrupts their movements for a brief period of time. The mage notes that the dummies recover from the effect far sooner as well.

She notes that this is in contrast to Tiffania's 'Mind Wipe', which seems to make people completely forget what it is they're doing until they're reminded somehow.

The pinkette is admittedly somewhat disappointed by the fact that her first real spell is arguably just another explosion, yet she reminds herself to not think that way. This is ultimately just a proof of concept that will lead her into further self-improvement. Especially since there may be more spells to be learned from the other Void artifacts.

She holsters her wand and walks out of the firing range when the mage gives her the signal that she's thrown her new spell around enough. Louise finds herself repeating that phrase with a small smile. The _other_ Void artifacts. Not only is her element none other than the holy Void itself, but she has potential access to two artifacts that can do for her in five minutes what two years at the Tristain Magic Academy couldn't.

Though on the flip side, learning all that magical theory and understanding how spells work on a level that most students would never bother with wasn't exactly wasted time either. If she ever felt like it she could easily take up a teaching occupation. It wouldn't be the most glamorous thing ever but on the flip side she feels she'd be happy with just being a proper mage. Or maybe she could finally follow in her eldest sister's footsteps and start working toward being a researcher?

Her mind drifts back toward marriage as well. Now that it's not her first and only option anymore, does she really want to tie herself down and become a housewife at just sixteen? Even if the Viscount is a handsome, capable man, why should she just ignore her potential?

"I'd say that test session worked out rather well." Blake brings the pinkette's attention back to reality abruptly as he flicks through some readouts. "Fifteen consecutive speed castings, each of which draining roughly the same amount of power from you and having roughly identical effects. Not only would you stun most humans with this, I'd wager you'd give them a headache too. Maybe even disrupt their spellcasting if you're facing down mages."

"The effect would no doubt be quite a lot nastier if you had time to extend the chant. The fluctuations in power and energy consumption appear to be directly tied to the length of the chant used." The mage continues while handing a tablet containing the readouts to the pinkette so that she can examine them herself.

Louise's eyebrows shoot up when she sees how... _comprehensive_ the statistics are. "You have a unit of measurement for willpower usage?"

"Well, not precisely. I'm treating mana and willpower as the same thing, since the former is literally 'power' in another language." Blake seems somewhat sheepish, but it's hard to tell. "I'm not sure how to quantify the latter, though for the moment the two types of energy behave more or less the same. I'm not sure if they're really interchangeable or if I just got lucky."

"Big sister Eleanor would love to see something like this. Sometimes she rants about how everyone blindly follows the Church and refuses to actually even try to quantify willpower. She also says it's important that researchers come up with something because being able to accurately measure how much magic a given mage can perform before he exhausts himself can help prevent cases of willpower exhaustion." Louise flicks through the readings, and mostly comes to the same conclusions. Although a fair bit of the information just flies over her head.

"I assume that would be a period during which a mage can no longer cast spells?" The mage asks inquisitively.

"Yes. During peacetime it's an inconvenience, albeit one that's been known to last upward of a week at a time. During war, however?" Louise hands the tablet back as she leaves her statement deliberately unfinished.

"A mage that can't cast spells is basically dead weight." Blake nods in response.

"Or dead. In big sister's views, leaving determining the limits of any given mage up to that mage through feeling it out alone is irresponsible. After all, how are we nobles supposed to protect and empower the commoners if we cannot use our greatest strength?" Louise puts a hand to her chest imperiously as she goes. Somehow the gesture looks adorable coming from her.

Blake stays silent for a moment before speaking again. "I suppose it might be worthwhile to figure out precisely how your type of magic works. I actually know someone who might be able to benefit from it anyway." He rubs his chin in thought before ending the gesture and shaking his head. "I do agree though. Where I'm from, we do have the ability to at least roughly measure one's limits in terms of spellcasting. It doesn't yield quite the same negative effects, but it's there for largely the same reasons."

Louise then changes the subject slightly. "If it is not too much trouble, what is your type of magic like?"

"It's mostly about manipulating energy that's already present in some form or another. So far as I know, most mages can't just 'will' something to happen, there has to be some logical thought process behind it. Even if the effects can reach highly improbable heights." Blake starts to explain while taking a more relaxed sitting position in his chair. "For example, ambient heat can be gathered up into a fireball and thrown. Air currents can be manipulated and reshaped. Water can be lifted, compressed, and shot out. The earth can be split, or erupt. Those just being basic examples."

"Huh. When a mage uses willpower here, it's described as imposing our will on the world, which is why it puts us under stress when we cast." Louise takes up a seat opposite Blake when it becomes clear that this might take a while. "Yours sounds like it works with the world instead."

Blake shrugs. "Sort of. It's easiest when we work with the world, but we can pull similar stunts at higher costs in less than ideal environments. Fires can be generated even in airless space if one has the raw mana to spare, matter can be converted from mana and back again as needed, but as you might expect it's exhausting to do so. Plus, we have elements like Aether, which is sort of non-elemental in and of itself, and it's not unheard of for other non-standard elements to be used."

Something clicks in Louise's head when the mage states that. "Is that why Mr. Aoi can use light as an element?"

Blake nods with a smile. "Yes, that's almost exactly why. Though his case is somewhat unique. Most people tend to mistake him for a transforming dragon, which isn't entirely incorrect. Yet he's very much unlike anything you would know of. Has Aoi mentioned that he generates a lot of power?"

Louise nods, recalling that almost offhand comment from a few days prior.

"There's a reason for that. You see, humans and other beings _also_ generate multiple types of energy. Putting them in relatively accurate, equivalent terms, a human generates life energy, spirit energy, 'power,' and rare individuals can even naturally generate an element of their own. Aoi, however, doesn't generate elemental power on his own so much as he's adopted the two he usually uses." Blake smiles as he thinks on it more. "Instead, he generates extreme levels of spirit power and mana as a base material of sorts, which he can casually convert into other types should he know how. Though lately he's been consuming Wind Stones outright to further empower himself."

"It's part of why he's so insanely hard to destroy. The spirit power is converted into defensive and regenerative abilities, while the mana functions as his primary offensive weapon."

The pinkette finds herself at a loss for words. Not only did she summon a dragon, she seems to have summoned an incredibly strong one at that.

She almost pouts at how circumstances have kept her from her fated partner.

"So, what do you use?" Asks the pinkette, her curiosity more than piqued.

"I deal in the Metal element primarily, though I know how to handle fire, lightning, earth, and water as well since it all directly ties into metallurgy and the construction of machines. I've even dabbled in light myself when designing solar and lunar panels to keep some of my machines charged." Blake seems rather proud of himself over that last one. "There are also many, many different classes of magic as well. Aoi and I are both primarily elemental mages, but there are people who deal primarily in spirit power, concepts, and even those who use life energy."

"...And what about the Void?"

"That, admittedly, I don't know a whole lot about. At least some groups dabble in it, but in those cases Void can be countered by Fire, sometimes lightning as well, since that's disrupting the element with large bursts of power and effectively 'negating' the identity of the element. Here, your Void appears to have no equal." The mage taps his finger on his chair's armrest as he speaks. "I admit that I share Shajal's worries over its use. Every element has some kind of counterbalance to it that keeps it in check. So what does it mean for one element to be so inherently superior that it can undo all others?"

That last question reminds Louise of something else. "Mr. Blake, Mr. Aoi asked me something similar when I summoned him. He asked me what it means for me to have summoned him. Do you know what he meant?"

The mage hums before answering. "I'm not sure what he meant by that myself, but if I had to hazard a guess he probably sensed and guessed that his own nature and yours didn't match up the way the Springtime Summoning Ritual intended. Aoi may be unusual, but he has no ties to the Void, let alone yours."

Louise thinks to herself momentarily. "Mr. Blake, if it is not too much trouble, can I set up a spot to try the ritual again?"

"If you think it will help, then I see no reason why not."


	19. Deflected Signal

If Louise could be known for one thing besides her prior ineptitude, it would be her sheer scholarly dedication. In her pursuit of discovering a path for herself that did not result in her being a failure, she scoured many of the Magic Academy Library's tomes in the hopes that there would be something relevant within. This, combined with her own high aptitude for learning, gave her a nearly encyclopedic knowledge base from which she can attempt to derive any number of practical applications. This was all information that never yielded so much as a scrap of positive result, but never the less she refused to discard any of it.

This is why she is able to set up the Springtime Summoning Ritual on her own with just the resources she has on hand. With Blake providing some of what she lacks, as well as a detachment of the humanoid Assaulter-class automaton shock troopers for protection should her true fated partner not be something friendly, she is able to complete the whole thing with minimal fuss.

She backs away from the completed ritual site and holds her wand aloft, and speaks the ever-familiar words to invoke the ritual and call forth her fated partner.

All the while she wonders just what it was she was supposed to have summon the first time.

An explosion later, and a rather surprised mage finds himself in the middle of said summoning circle.

Louise herself stares with raised eyebrows.

Blake adjusts his goggles back into position around his neck and coughs to clear his lungs before understating the obvious. "Well, I think there's something decidedly odd about this."

-

The two relocate to what is essentially a magitech medical facility, while Matilda and Shajal meet up with them at around that point.

The earth mage breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Blake. "Oh, good, you're still around. You getting randomly teleported was kind of a shock."

"Indeed. What was the cause of that?" Asks the motherly elf.

"Louise attempted the Springtime Summoning Ritual again, and got me instead of whoever it is she's supposed to have gotten." Blake explains briefly. "...Which brings me to my next question. Why did you two think to come here?"

Matilda shrugs. "Because anytime stuff starts going off the rails for you, you usually end up badly injured. I mean, the first time you almost got burned to death, the next-"

"Matilda, do you _really_ have to provide that kind of example again?" To his credit, the steampunk mage simply rolls his eyes in response.

"W-what do you get up to?!" Louise squeaks out.

"Mr. Blake is a well-meaning but foolish man who sticks his neck out a little further than necessary sometimes." Shajal helpfully explains while giving Blake one of those looks that promised unpleasant things if he gave her undue reason to worry again.

"I feel like I should." The earth mage gets in after the motherly elf speaks. "Though you're right, it's an irrelevant point here. If you're not hurt, what're _you_ here for?"

"Well, the short of it is that Louise summoned me." Blake rattles off quickly enough. "The thing is that quite frankly if the summoning ritual pulls in something based on its compatibility to the mage performing it, then it just failed horribly."

"That's assuming the ritual only looks at the element of a given creature." Matilda's quick to point out.

"It's not unreasonable. Usually mages summon something with direct ties to their element. Like wind mages will usually summon birds, water mages will summon aquatic things, and so on." Louise provides a counterpoint just as quickly. "Why would the ritual pull in something of the wrong element? It's unheard of."

"The ritual's also not really known for spitting out human or human-ish familiars either. Plus, you're a Void mage. We don't exactly have thousands of years of recorded events of those guys to work with." Matilda gestures with a feather quill as she speaks to emphasize her points before frowning at Blake. "Though if you really ARE who she's supposed to get, that's kinda inconvenient on a lot of levels."

"It's something that can be worked with, if necessary. Though I should probably state the actual reason we're here before we go any further off-topic. I want to test myself to see if I contain or produce anything that could be considered 'Void' in this world." Blake finally manages to re-rail the conversation, and gestures for the three others to follow him. "I did briefly travel through what could only be described as pure void when I was summoned, and I'm concerned that that may have done something."

Louise couldn't help but note that last part. No one has ever actually been able to tell what the summoning is supposed to be like mid-transit. It is commonly assumed that the entrance and exit are like certain mirror-based teleportation artifacts in that they're literally like walking through a door frame that you can't see through.

...Perhaps for common summons that is exactly the case, but Void mage-based summons produce a different effect?

"Didn't you say the concept of Void contamination probably takes being _trapped_ in that space for weeks?" Matilda frowns again, unsure as to whether or not she should take this as baseless worrying. "And using a specific stasis spell, no less."

"I did, but the problem is that was _one_ example. I wasn't about to subject myself or Aoi to that, or any of you, or create viable test subjects for the express purpose of exposing them to... _that_." Blake gestures with his hand as he cannot think of a proper descriptor. "I've left enough things related to that up to chance. I need to be sure this time."

"Alright, alright. I'll run the diagnostics. Just do what you usually do." Matilda waves her hand at a door, which leads into a somewhat posh yet still serviceable examination room. When Blake goes in, she pulls up a console and starts tapping buttons. "Shajal, Louise, this'll take some time. Feel free to do whatever you want in the meantime." She then looks back to the two. "Whatever that's not absolutely crazy or would violate common sense, I mean."

"Really, Matilda. Do you truly think that someone such as myself would be prone to that?" The motherly elf all but pouts as she's subjected to clearly baseless accusations.

The earth mage looks back and gives the motherly elf the sort of look usually reserved for people who aren't fooling anyone. "Shajal, you're easily as much a marshmallow as Tiffi."

While the meaning is lost on Louise, Shajal heaves a sigh as if to concede the point. "Louise, we should probably stay in eyesight on Matilda if she's going to be like that."

The two then sit in a couple of convenient nearby chairs.

"I admit, I am completely lost right now. Many of the things you are referring to make no sense to me, and yet I cannot help but be curious about them." Louise sighs as well, considering that her visit here has been a string of bombshells being dropped one after another, spaced apart by peaceful moments.

"If you think everything up until now is bad, just wait until Blake opens up a bit more about what he is." Matilda casts an amuse glance back at the pinkette. "It probably won't take too much longer either. If he really is Mr. Right for you, he won't let you go into that contract half-baked. ...Which I'd presume is part of why Aoi refused too."

"Would it be too inconvenient or personal to explain now?" The pinkette looks somewhat hopeful.

"I don't mind, honestly. Blake might get grumpy at me for it, but eh, you're in pretty deep at this point anyway." Matilda shrugs. "First thing you need to know is that Blake and Aoi aren't native to Halkeginia at all. I don't mean that in the 'well, duh' way either. Wherever they're from, they've only got one moon in the sky at night, and it's pure white."

"Eh?" Louise can only manage a confused sound.

"Ah, yes. It was quite lovely to behold." Shajal nods as she remembers that little trip. "Aoi wanted us to make the trip as proof of their being foreign to our world, though Blake was against it for safety reasons."

"They're from another world?" Louise only manages to feel even more lost than before, and on top of that feeling as if she's been dropped down a rabbit hole leading to wonderland.

"I told you it'd be even worse. It makes sense too, their style of magic is so wildly different from ours that I don't think there's anything really equivalent here." Matilda doesn't look to the two this time, preferring to focus on her job while making small talk. "I mean, Elves use spirit magic, but that's contracting _with_ spirits. When Blake described spirit magic, it's literally using the power of one's own spirit to get the job done."

"Ah, and mages are forced to practice in secret as well." Shajal mentions once the earth mage jogs her memory. "The dynamics between magic users and those devoid of magic is nearly the opposite of how it is here, from what they described."

"How does society even function in that place?" Louise asks disbelievingly.

"That's the ridiculous part. It blows the Brimiric nations out of the water advancement-wise. They can preserve food, travel large distances, entertain, and communicate long-distance without using any sort of magic at all. They don't even need it." Matilda's tone carries some measure of discomfort to it, and Shajal looks similarly uncomfortable.

"I could not sense many spirits at all in that world, or at least where we visited. It was... It felt just as awe-inspiring as it felt completely wrong." Shajal balls her hands up in her lap and looks down at them.

"Oh right, and there's a reason Blake doesn't trust the Romalian Church. Turns out his world's equivalent was created by 'commoners' who decided to call all magic the devil's work while propping themselves up as holy using flimsy logic. The number of practicing mages dropped like a rock after that, and stayed low ever since." The earth mage's tone drops into clear disapproval of that situation. "It's gotten so bad over there that magic's literally just treated as fairy tale stuff, and actual magic practitioners are treated like they're mentally ill."

"W-what kind of hell world do they come from...?" Asks the pinkette.

Matilda snorts. "Hell world. I guess it _would_ be a hell world for mages. I wonder if that's why Blake was experimenting with spells that can move things from one world to the next. ...Or, whoever came before him."

"Matilda! There is so little context for that that you could easily give the poor girl the wrong idea!" Shajal scolds the earth mage a bit. "It simply developed differently compared to this world."

"...Wait, but the Romalian Church isn't like that at all! Why would he distrust it?" Louise finds her voice again, and sounds more sure of herself this time.

"He said it's because the two are too similar for his tastes. He thinks he'd get branded a heretic inside of ten minutes of speaking with any important member of the Romalian Church. ...Given how he could easily skew commoner/noble dynamics, and his general attitude toward both institutions, he's got good reason to worry." Matilda hits a few more buttons, bringing up a few different results. "In fact, he thinks he's going to have to fight Romalia outright too, on top of Joseph and dealing with the Wind Stone crisis."

"...And my people will most likely come for him as well eventually. Blake is an anomaly, and I'm afraid that there is yet more that must be explained before it will become clear as to why." Shajal looks to Louise sadly, her feeling great disappointment with her own people for their mentality.

"...Can we pause this conversation for a little while?" Asks the pinkette, feeling completely overwhelmed as she speaks.

"I don't mind. I should probably focus more on this anyway." Matilda allows the conversation to pause for the time being.

Meanwhile, Shajal puts an arm around Louise to comfort her. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Louise doesn't so much as twitch in response despite being shown compassion by an elf.

"Well, you're clean as a whistle. Not so much as a scrap of contamination." Matilda shows the steampunk mage the list of results from the diagnostics.

"While we're here, what is void contamination anyway?" Louise has recovered from her previous expository overload enough to start asking questions again.

"I'm not entirely sure, myself." Blake nods to Matilda before addressing the pinkette. "It appears to be a condition in which one's own natural energies have been replaced by that of your world's Void to at least some degree. There... does not appear to be any overtly harmful effects, though it's hard to tell since the only person who's ever suffered the condition tends to keep to himself."

"It's not an easy thing to contract, either." The steampunk mage continues. "As you might imagine, most people don't naturally generate 'Void' energy. You and Tiffania are the only two exceptions to the rule thus far. Additionally, making someone shift from producing the natural array of energies to just the one type is extremely difficult. The only method I know of would literally to use a Stasis-class spell and to keep it active inside of a void energy rich area."

"The only reason the substitution is even conceivable at all is because a stasis spell can run off both one's internal magical power, as well as drawing from the environment if the internal reserves are insufficient. One would _think_ that it wouldn't work, but in this one case it resulted in a mage being turned into what is essentially a void elemental."

"Wait, then if that mage's affinity is the Void...!" Louise all but squeaks as she makes the connection.

"Then it is indeed possible that he is the one you were meant to contract with. The problem is that he wields the Void as though it were just another limb. Conventional magic has an extremely difficult time making any sort of impact on him, and it's possible that his very nature causes your summoning ritual to skip over him somehow." Blake continues on off the pinkette's sentence.

It takes the pinkette a moment or two to respond to that. "Then why did it jump to Aoi the first time, then you the second?"

The steampunk mage suddenly looks a bit awkward, and for once offers no explanation.

Matilda, however, steps right on in. "It's because Blake's essentially a back-up body of sorts. The world gate spell his progenitor, Orion, created wasn't something he went into blindly when it was his time to test it on himself. From what Blake told me, the gate spell won't stay stable unless there's some kind of physical component on each end to keep it that way, and even then the prototype system was unstable."

"...As much as I didn't want to go there, you are correct. Orion developed both solid state gate components with a separate energy pool of their own, which would have been used to restore lost body parts if the transfer process was somehow damaging." Blake continues on from where Matilda leaves off, having been pushed into explaining something a touch uncomfortable for himself. "But he never actually made it across at all. The spellwork unraveled mid-transit, and he was trapped in that space between worlds."

"But you spoke of him as though he's still around." Louise points out the obvious discrepancy.

"He is, in a sense. When Aoi and I managed to stabilize the spellwork, the portal opened back up as though nothing had ever happened. Yet what came out was not what went in. This iteration of Orion may have some of the memories of his former self, but he is so utterly different on a fundamental level that I doubt that he's even human anymore." The steampunk mage looks distinctly uncomfortable with the subject now, though he presses on. "We don't even have a name for this new form."

"And that's why you're so afraid of void contamination." The pinkette notes.

"Indeed. It could be that I am making a mountain out of a molehill in this case, but given what I have seen so far I have no reason to suspect that it is anything less than what I fear." Blake takes a seat and goes over some information of his own. "The only positive side in this case is that this form of contamination is so incredibly hard to generate that I suspect that it cannot spread."

"He is also why I fear that my people will not take kindly to Mr. Blake's presence." Shajal speaks up after letting the others handle the bulk of the remaining expository work. "To your people, Louise, the void is a sacred thing, once wielded by a man who saved his entire race. To the elves, it is an aberration and a destroyer. A thing that consumes all in its path and leaves nothing behind."

"On top of that, my people have been keeping track of the number of void mages as well. At last count, only two were active. But now? Now all four exist, and the second they learn of this they will act to remove at least one from the equation." The motherly elf shifts uncomfortably. "At the very least, it will be difficult for them to discover that Tiffania is one such mage, but even without that, they will soon know that three are active and will react accordingly."

"...It really is a good thing that this archipelago's so far removed from everything. Wardes said not too long ago that at the rate Blake's going, we won't have anywhere else to go to. Between the Mad King, the Elves, and Romalia, there are a lot of people who know how to fight shadow wars and most all of them either already have a bone to pick with us, or will have one." Matilda jumps in with her two cents.

"I think I need some time to think about all this again." Louise finally admits, her previous enthusiasm for finding her fated partner quashed somewhat.

"Well, if there's one thing this place affords us, Louise, it's time. Take as much as you need." Blake smiles sadly.


	20. Showboater

Henrietta isn't quite sure what to make of her current predicament. Aoi had previously mentioned that he scouted out a place to stage the next part of his increasingly ludicrous plan for 'pretending' to kidnap her, but she didn't quite think that he'd go so far as to beat up the entire contents of a mansion to do it. At the very least, he had the common sense to not just attack the Valliere estate for this, as while it would expedite things to a degree it would also invite the awkward conversation of 'why are you even putting up with that dragon to begin with.'

The obvious answer being 'because I can't do anything to stop it.' That would ring true, and there's not a single noble or ruler who would dare mock her over it once they're actually put on the receiving end of Aoi's high-energy antics. Such as one Count Mott, who quite frankly probably didn't deserve getting blasted out of his own home and onto the streets before being told that the only way he'd get his house back is if he delivered the message that said dragon is holding their princess and Cardinal here.

Though the young princess has to admit that watching a large pile of grown men and women accumulating on the front lawn is at least somewhat funny. It's like a fairy tale story, except less gruesome and featuring a dragon antagonist who simply doesn't understand what culture is.

Her eyes snap up to meet those of her captor, who has prepared tea for his 'guests.'

Perhaps it's less that he doesn't know, and more that he's so powerful that he can afford not to care.

"I can't say I'm overly fond of the guy's decoration sense, but I can work with it." Aoi takes a hearty swig of tea before going back to re-arranging the living room furniture. "Also, I hate to impose but I'm honestly not sure if that stuff's even any good. If any of you know how to test for unwanted additives and let me know if there's any in there or not, I'll try another kind if there is."

The princess chants a quick spell on the still-steaming and entirely too ornate teapot, and responds. "It appears to be fine. Why do you believe that it would not be?"

The dragon scratches his head. "I dunno, better safe than sorry? For all I know this guy might be the type who enjoys drugging his guests."

Cardinal Mazarin sighs. "I know that you believe that the nobility is largely corrupt, but even those that are have at least some measure of standards when it comes to their choice in tactics." He pauses for a moment, then begins again. "Though I appreciate your caution. Your methods are unorthodox, however."

"They'll get results for sure, though. I mean, if that guy wasn't just all bluster he'll have enough clout to get into the court easily and pass the news on before the day's over." The dragon takes a peek out the window and notes the somewhat nervous batches of onlookers. "Oh hey, we've got a crowd! That was quick."

"...You threw a noble out of his own home. I would think that would attract the attention of passers-by." Mazarin comments dryly.

The princess couldn't help but look out said window to confirm the dragon's words. "If I must be honest, Mr. Aoi, at this rate I suspect that Count Mott may be disregarded as a drunkard. This situation grows more and more ridiculous by the moment, and his story is bound to sound outlandish."

"Aw, come on. What was I supposed to do? Pop in with you and your group on dragonback and level half the estate before even evacuating it or learning how it'd collapse?" Aoi shrugs in response as it simply did not occur to him that this might have been accomplished more readily another way.

"It would have been more threatening than unceremoniously dropping my guards and the Cardinal in the man's living room, carrying me in over your shoulder, and declaring that you're taking over his house for your own nefarious deeds." The princess could actually feel somewhat tired just from following that logic. "And no demand of ransom or anything, either. You blackmailed Mott into blackmailing the Court into bringing their forces here to fight you for my safe return."

Aside from that, however, the princess notes that the dragon at the very least somehow felt safe to be carried by if nothing else.

"How is that any less ridiculous than randomly, spontaneously kidnapping you for reasons that are shaky at best in court of law?" Aoi responds simply. "At least with this being my second such stunt, they'll know it's me. If you're consistent in your theatrics it starts to get recognized as your style. It'd be like stealing from nobles and consistently replacing their treasures with mounds of dirt because you want to leave behind a calling card to embarrass them."

Henrietta buries her head in her hands. "I cannot even argue with that."

"Exactly! My presence is that of a walking insult! Like an archer extending their middle and pointer finger!" Aoi claps his hands happily as the princess seems to catch on.

"...That's a relatively obscure insult, Mr. Aoi." Cardinal Mazarin takes another sip of tea calmly. "I suspect that most nobles would not be aware of its full meaning."

"Eh, you get my point. Fact of the matter is I basically embarrassed this entire nation by exercising a little patience and spontaneity. The only way I could get any more blatant is if I dropped my pants in front of them and started dancing." Aoi gestures with his hand again in a 'forget about it' type of way as he speaks.

"Please don't, Mr. Aoi. I'm fairly certain that court nobles would be unable to take it." The princess starts blushing again faintly as she starts to imagine it just slightly. "Honestly, how can you be so refined in your dragon form, yet so crude and spontaneous in this one?"

"Everything has its place. My dragon form is for when I mean business, this form is when I have fun." The dragon then looks to the group of nobles. "I wouldn't last two days in your stuffy gilded cage of a business. Heck, I can't even muster up the effort to take this overly seriously. ...I mean yeah you're technically my prisoners so I _should_ be taking this seriously, but where's the fun in that?"

He then looks out the window again, hoping for the next stage to start. "And I'll be perfectly honest with you, Henrietta. I'm kind of the troublesome kind of shmuck who can't really leave things alone, especially not after you laid out your troubles. Is it really wrong to take the time between stages to see if I can't get a troubled and pretty young lady like you to smile for once?"

The princess blushes a bit harder. If she didn't know any better, she would suspect that she's being hit on. She then calmly reminds herself that Aoi is in fact a _dragon_ , and that he probably doesn't have an interest in human women anyway.

She then recalls that he already freely compared her to priceless treasure.

"Are pick-up lines really appropriate for this situation?" Mazarin takes the whole thing in practiced stride, at least. His calm a testament to the countless ludicrous trials of nobility he has endured.

Aoi arches his eyebrows up in surprise. "Pick-up lines? I'm just telling the truth. You all must get tired of the stuffiness at least sometimes."

"While that may be true, your wording could use some work. You could easily express interest in the young princess without meaning to." Though the Cardinal suspects that the dragon is merely fooling around, and does in fact know darn well what he was saying.

The dragon blinks in response. "I guess, though I suspected that she must hear that kind of thing all the time."

"Less than you would think, Mr. Aoi. Princess Henrietta's list of suitors is short due to her position in the hierarchy. She cannot be approached by just anyone. Even our elite would be hard-pressed to find themselves the chance to court her." Cardinal Mazarin finally finishes off his cup of tea after explaining things. "A random dragon man appearing out of nowhere, taking her out on a glorified date, and complimenting her is simply something she would be unprepared for."

"What was I supposed to do? Lock her in a dungeon? Treat her as anything less than an esteemed guest?" The dragon tilts his head to the side while keeping one eye on the window.

It hasn't even been a full day since she had been embarrassed by the idea of her marrying her closest female friend. Now she's dealing with a dragon who could more or less be read as trying to court her. "He's not from a fairy tale, he's from a romance novel..." Henrietta speaks under her breath.

Aoi perks up seemingly in response, but instead of responding to the princess he responds to something he must have heard outside. "Oh, look, that was pretty fast!" He is currently looking at a detachment of soldiers and nobles, all of whom are clearly cut out for combat. "And Karin too? Man, this'll be easy."

He then walks over to the princess, unceremoniously sweeps her up into a bridal carry, and starts walking out of the room.

The princess catches sight of the dragon's irises going from circular, to vertical slit irises, and taking on a gold color. "Well then, time to play the role of the antagonist." Chills travel down the spines of everyone present when they hear his voice. His earlier casual air is gone, replaced by something more menacing.

The princess couldn't help but wonder if the dragon just loves acting.

Henrietta finds herself standing a bit off to the side from the dragon as he causes the wind to flow dramatically from their position on the rooftop, though the effect is slightly lessened since the man doesn't have a cape to work with to achieve the best effect. In fact, all it's really moving is his ponytail, somewhat. Regardless of how she feels about the setting, she does admit to herself that he's making up for it in other areas.

"Good to see that you've all finally decided to show up! You were taking so long that I was starting to wonder if you even wanted your leader back!" Aoi's voice is as imperious and booming as his words are mocking. He looks over all assembled and smiles. "Though I see that my concerns might be unfounded, assuming you all aren't under some kind of obligation!"

"What's the point of all this, you insane bastard?!" One of the assembled nobles, an unimportant court noble no less, speaks up.

"What's the point, you ask? This **is** the point." The dragon looks down at said noble dismissively. "Were you not paying attention before? We can't be allies because of circumstances outside of our control, and getting too buddy-buddy with each other would just invite trouble."

"And your solution was to kidnap the Princess and Cardinal." Karin's eyes meet the dragons, her voice level and bemused.

Aoi flashes the Heavy Wind an unsettling smile. "Well now, allies don't go kidnapping the ruling individuals of each other's nations, do they?"

"Your move was not well thought out, it seems. Do you even _have_ a ransom demand, or something along those lines?" In truth, the Heavy Wind has to acknowledge that this move wasn't exactly a bad one in and of itself, per-say, but there is one significant flaw among other, lesser ones.

The dragon simply shrugs his shoulders in response. "That would imply that your nation has anything I would actually _want_." He then sighs. "Well, I suppose I could see your point, though. This doesn't look like a grand confrontation so much as a chance for me to taunt you, does it?"

At least a few of the assembled soldiers and nobles shift uncomfortably.

"That's right, isn't it? You can't really _stop_ me, can you?" The dragon smiles menacingly. "There's only one person present here who could actually give me trouble, and she's going to have to pick her move wisely." His gaze slides back to Karin, who is about the only person he actually recognizes for her sheer, brute strength.

The fact that Karin hasn't yet attacked is fairly telling to the dragon, as it means he picked up two high-priority targets and ergo she must be weighing her options. Not to mention the fact that those around her simply won't pose much of a threat, as most mages take too long to cast, and most footmen simply can't match the dragon's physical might.

Then the Heavy Wind suddenly flies forward toward the princess, wreathed in wind as she tries to rush the dragon's position, but rather than fly right into the princess the Heavy Wind instead plows into the roof right under her. Henrietta, perhaps having considered this possibility, has wrapped herself in a shield of pure water to absorb the hit and falls relatively gracefully onto the floor below before quickly chanting another spell and using that very same water to put some distance between herself and the Heavy Wind.

"Okay, props to the both of you for that one. Guess I should have expected Henrietta to be strong, so that one's entirely on me." To his credit, Aoi simply shrugs and smiles in a good-natured manner. "Plus the Cardinal's probably made his own way out by now. I didn't exactly lock him up either."

The fact that there is now an utter deluge of fire, wind, water, ice, lightning, stone, and arrows being thrown his way just confirms his suspicion. With no hostages left, the attackers would be free to use the full extent of their power. "Too bad it's still not enough." Wicked black winds erupt around the dragon just before the barrage hits, diverting, dispersing, or outright shattering the spells and projectiles on impact.

The drill-like funnel of wind shot at him from behind is infinitely more effective as it punches through the defensive barrier easily enough and forces the dragon to move to avoid it. "Well then, I guess you're just going to have to 'distract' me for a bit then, huh?" Aoi insists on treating the whole thing like a casual game in spite of that.

"I think you mean 'discipline.'" Karin corrects the dragon on that point. "I cannot even _begin_ to express how angry I am over this."

"Oooooh, how scary." The dragon's grin only grows wider in response. "Say, it doesn't matter if this place gets totaled, does it?"

The Heavy Wind frowns in response, though with her iron mask on it's impossible for anyone else to tell. "It would be preferable if it were not, but given the circumstances I believe the owner will just have to deal with it."

"Good, because I don't feel like playing nice today." Aoi cracks his knuckles, and shifts into his dragon form while using a tornado for black wind to obscure the transformation.

"Neither do I." Karin launches her namesake spell in an instant, taking the opportunity to drive her most powerful attack into the dragon's barrier in an attempt to cut the fight short.

Both would come to regret that particular clash of power soon enough.


	21. Well Done, Daughter

Karin is currently walking through the halls of the Tristain Magic Academy while feeling simultaneously pleased and annoyed. On the one hand, the dragon had basically pulled Tristain's collective pants down and proceeded to mock them about it. On the other, he wound up being an opponent who is actually worthy of her full might and skill. So much so that by the time the two had to cut things short, they had demolished not only the mansion they started off over, but most of the surrounding area as well.

What her dignity would never allow her to admit openly, however, is that the latter part was a complete and total accident.

She wasn't even sure how it happened, in all honesty. Her Heavy Wind spell is designed to crush the target and grind them into so much dust, but when it hit Aoi's Dragon Wind barrier the two spells began to behave oddly. Rather than cancel each other out, the two somehow started to combine and grow more powerful and violent for it, while gradually slipping out of both of their attempts to control it. Thankfully the resulting tornado headed _away_ from the Princess and ultimately gave the pink-haired legend and the dragon an opportunity to actually stop it before it managed to destroy something genuinely important.

Mostly it simply took hitting it with wind spells to counter its rotation, and once it was slowed down enough it dispersed on its own. In fact, that part was so dull that it was barely worth talking about. No, it was what the dragon mentioned after that that has her attention.

Her youngest daughter, Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere, is not in fact a failure as a mage. Her element just happens to be incompatible with the four main elements. With a little more prodding, she was able to get the dragon to tell her what it is.

Louise supposedly wields the Void.

On the one hand, it is blasphemy to even suggest such a thing. The Holy Void carries a great deal of weight thanks to the Romalian Church, and anyone who has it is effectively more important than any other person alive. After all, they have the same element as the Founder himself. Thanks to the way the scriptures were written, such a person could even supplant the current ruler of a nation is they happen to be charismatic enough.

So naturally, it was declared heresy to say that one wields the Void.

In truth, this change was not made without reason, so far as Karin knows. More than a few impostors have cropped up over the ages to attempt to seize more than is rightfully theirs, or to cause chaos and discontent. Not helping matters is that even if someone has the Void as their element, there are no known teachers of that element. ...Which in retrospect would handily explain why her youngest daughter is incapable of casting any form of useful magic. In fact, she would rather believe that her daughter wields the Void rather than believe she is truly inept.

It's just that neither explanation is entirely welcome, seeing as what could happen to the young girl.

She comes upon her daughter's room and raps on the door smartly. "Louise, open up." Though Eleanor had brought up the concept of pulling Louise out of the Academy, Karin had overruled that immediately. So long as Louise keeps trying, she has reason to be there. Even if she cannot truly use the spells she learns, there will be a time in the young girl's life where she will come to appreciate having such an expansive knowledge base to draw from. Hopefully not because she'll be forced to figure out how to dismantle an opponent's spell quickly on a routine basis.

"Mother!" The door swings open to reveal the youngest daughter, who is surprised and honestly somewhat terrified of the unannounced visit. Karin couldn't quite blame her for her reaction. The last time she announced her visit she basically tried to murder someone who was, at the time, nothing more than an elementally adept young man for no appreciable reason. "W-why are- It's nice to-"

Karin raises an eyebrow at the stammering. It's something she's used to hearing, yet internally she cringes slightly. Her daughter is supposed to be strong and unflappable, not... _this_. Still, she doesn't press that issue. "My apologies for the unannounced visit. However, it appears something rather important has come to my attention. May I come in?"

Louise steps to the side, then shuts the door when her mother crosses the threshold.

"You again." Karin notes that Aoi is leaning against the wall with his usual devil may care attitude about him.

"Yup!" The dragon must have cleaned himself up since the tornado incident, because the Heavy Wind could have sworn she managed to put a support beam through him later on.

"Don't you have anything better to do, you degenerate?" Despite her choice of words, the Heavy Wind isn't interested in pursuing hostilities, and instead sits in an available chair.

"What, being Louise's emotional support in trying times is unimportant?" The dragon's choice of words manage to be annoyingly cutting, somehow. "I mean, I did let you know she's a Void mage. Figured I should take responsibility for that as best I can."

The Heavy Wind's general presence exudes minor annoyance, but she doesn't deign to take the bait. "Then I take it you understand just how important this is."

Louise manages to sit on her bed a slight distance away from Karin's position, but otherwise says nothing.

"Well _duh_. Louise's future couldn't be in greater peril if we tried." The dragon crosses his arms and matches the legend's presence.

Karin closes her eyes for a moment before speaking. "Louise, if what he says about you is true, then you should know at least one spell of your element."

"I... I do know one, yes, mother." The youngest daughter looks less like a dignified member of the Valliere line and more like a bundle of nerves.

The Heavy Wind looks to Aoi next. "Dragon. I believe it would be better if we both exerted some effort to keep this secret."

"For once, I couldn't agree more." The dragon snaps his fingers and covers the windows in a fierce black wind on the outside. "Now then, what about the possibility of scriers?"

"Scry _ing_." Karin corrects the dragon again as she casts a silence spell on the door. "As far as that goes, the only one who should have that kind of power here is Headmaster Osmond. As much as I may disapprove of some of his hobbies, he is none the less remarkably trustworthy."

"Alright, so I think that takes care of unwanted peeping. Louise, are you ready?" Aoi looks to his summoner after changing his mood to not make her feel more uncomfortable than she already is.

"I am." She replies simply as she draws her wand. "Mother, the one spell I know is apparently called Mind Shock. It's a Void element spell that disrupts one's ability to think or cast magic, and with greater strength can completely shut down a mage's ability to do anything useful."

Karin nods in response to encourage her daughter to go on.

"...Wait, if I'm supposed to cast this, what am I supposed to cast this on?" The pinkette asks in a puzzled tone.

The legend and the dragon exchange a glance. "Him/Her." Both speak at once, while pointing at each other.

Louise finds herself inexplicably confused. Either her mother has developed a sense of humor, or she hates Aoi that much. The scary part being that she can't actually tell which is which.

"I'll take the opportunity to experience this first-hand." Karin speaks again, her tone level and perfectly serious.

"You're maintaining that silence spell." Aoi points out.

"That is irrelevant. Once my concentration is cut, you can pick up the slack." The legend responds simply.

"Mother, are you sure about this?" Louise asks worriedly.

"I am. Now cast that one spell of yours, and prove to me once and for all that you have succeeded." The Heavy Wind locks eyes with her daughter.

Aoi rolls his eyes, but otherwise remains silent.

The pinkette swallows once, then begins to chant. She'll just use a half-strength chant. That'll be fine.

Louise couldn't feel more nervous if she tried. Her mother had flat-out told her to use her new Void spell on her, and she had done so flawlessly. The problem being that even at half-strength it basically knocked her mother right out in one go, and even Aoi wasn't sure why that happened. He speculated that by all means she should have been able to withstand it better than most due to her self-control, but she's out like a snuffed candle.

She's still breathing at least, so there's that.

Karin was promptly relocated to Louise's bed, which is still large enough to easily accommodate the grown woman and her armor despite what one may think. In fact, the bed frame didn't so much as groan under the effort. The pinkette then suddenly remembers something else through her mild panic. "Aoi, wouldn't covering my windows in dragon wind grab attention?"

The dragon blinked. "...Come to think of it, it probably would. Sad part is I know light techniques that would have worked better and be harder to spot."

Then as if by clockwork, the two hear a gentle rapping on the door. "Who is it?" Asks the pinkette.

"Tabitha." Comes the clipped reply.

Louise opens the door and ushers the bluette in quickly, though apparently the Gallian princess had seen fit to bring a maid along with her. "Eh, Siesta?" The pinkette blinks as she recognizes the maid.

"I figured something was going to go wrong." Charlotte replies simply before turning to Aoi, and looking a touch more cross. "What were you thinking? You're not even supposed to _be_ here. That spell of yours is practically one of your staples and it's currently on full display." The change in speech pattern is incredibly jarring for those not used to it, though the dragon is.

"Ah, Ms. Valliere! Well, it's like Lady Tabitha says, she figured I'd be helpful for whatever's going on and... oh my, is that Karin?" Siesta finally spots the legend unconscious on Louise's bed.

Charlotte somehow manages to look even less amused than she already is, then whacks Aoi over the head with her staff as Siesta goes off to do her thing. "Explain."

To his credit, the dragon didn't so much as flinch when struck. "I told Karin about Louise's affinity and she wanted to confirm it for herself. We didn't have an acceptable target on tap, so she wanted to have it cast on herself."

Charlotte just plain gapes at both the legend and the dragon before recovering her composure. She takes a deep breath in and sighs it out before continuing. "I figured the Heavy Wind would have had something along the lines of common sense. I guess not."

"This is mother's first time dealing with the Void... I think. I don't think she knew what to expect. Or maybe she just didn't take me entirely seriously." Louise's gaze slides off to the side as she considers another possible reason for her mother disregarding her own safety to that degree.

Charlotte simply shakes her head. "This is just ridiculous. There are literally dozens of ways that this could have been handled better, and she picked one of the worst."

"Sooooo... aside from berating the poor life choices of an otherwise functional living legend, what brings you here?" The dragon attempts to shift subjects since the previous one is all but exhausted.

"I mostly just wanted to see you." The bluette admits shamelessly before putting on a mildly mischievous smile. "Plus Sylpheed misses her 'big brother'."

"Oh, for... I can't tell what that girl is actually thinking half the time." Aoi facepalms when the Gallian princess brings up her familiar.

"I think that's a bad habit she's picked up from you." Charlotte's face takes on a faint hint of amusement. "Just wait until she matures mentally a bit more and understands what it is she's saying."

The pinkette feels incredibly lost in all this, and is mostly just sitting to the side again. "What are... are you talking about your dragon?"

"Yes. Sylpheed looks up to Aoi's dragon form as a sort of older brother figure." The bluette clarifies. "It's hard for her not to, seeing as he took down an elf for my sake."

Meanwhile, Aoi seems to have moved off to talk to the maid about something.

"That's still hard to visualize. Elves can take on at least a hundred normal soldiers before being brought down, mages included. I know Aoi's strong, but..." Louise trails off.

"Aoi's not human. In fact, I'm not sure what he is." Charlotte starts up once she's sure the pinkette won't continue on her own. "He passes himself off as a dragon reasonably well, but..." The bluette pauses for a moment as she thinks of something. "Right, this room isn't soundproof, is it?"

"Mother was handling the silence spell on the door before I knocked her out, so no." The youngest daughter almost sounds sheepish over the admission.

"Thought so. This place has a few too many gossipers for me to just reveal everything." The Gallian princess walks over to the door and puts her staff to it before chanting some. "Shockwave."

The door rattles, but stays in place. Whoever was on the other side, however, wasn't so lucky as there are two distinct thumps. Charlotte's expression goes from almost smug to embarrassed as she sees Kirche on the floor ahead of her... and both embarrassed and annoyed when she sees the humanoid form of her own familiar next to her. Then just plain embarrassed again when she sees Professor Colbert just to the side of them as well.

"I can explain." She states simply.

"That was a rather impressive use of wind, Tabitha! I take it you adapted it from my own version?" Colbert seems oddly nonplussed by any of this as he responds.

"I did." The bluette nods. "Can you help me get those two in here?" She points to the two dazed women in front of her.

Meanwhile, as the teacher and the princess move a couple of bodies...

"You know, this place gets pretty lively." Aoi leans against the wall near the maid, and seems to be drinking some kind of soda. "Okay, now that they're in... Still Air." Rather than cover just the door, the entire wall is suddenly covered in a barrier of still, solid air.

"It really does. Though it's still awkward for a servant like me. Most nobles don't give us the time of day unless they want something." Siesta's mostly been ensuring that Karin is at least physically fine. Magically, however, is something she simply can't confirm or deny.

"I wish we had someplace a bit more spacious than my room, though. It's getting crowded in here." Louise gripes somewhat when she notes that there are eight people in a room meant to entertain half that comfortably. "Not to mention all the need for secrecy is annoying. I understand _why_ it's needed, just... bleh."

"Well, you're in good company at least!" Offers the maid as she stands next to the dragon.

"Mostly good company." Louise corrects as she looks to the dazed Zerbst.

"Mostly good company, indeed." Aoi smirks as he takes another drink.

"...What is that, anyway? I don't think I've seen anything like it." Louise asks quizzically, the previous mood forgotten.

"It's called soda. To be perfectly blunt, it's basically liquid, fizzy candy." The dragon answers simply.

"You certainly have a sweet tooth, don't you Mr. Aoi?" Asks the maid in an amused tone.

"It helps keep my energy levels up." The answer the dragon gives is decidedly off-point from what he was asked, though Siesta doesn't buy it for a second.

"Like you really need the help." Louise responds dryly.

"Big brothe~r!" Was all the warning anyone got before Aoi finds himself being latched onto in a borderline inappropriate manner by an entirely too energetic, surprisingly voluptuous, and slightly immature humanoid Rhyme Dragon. "Ikurukuu missed you! Big sister is fun to be with, but Ikurukuu likes it best when she has big brother and big sister!"

"I actually do." The dragon responds while petting the Rhyme Dragon's hair. "Didn't big sister say something about you not using your real name like that?"

Ikurukuu tilts her head in confusion before suddenly getting it. "Oh no! Ikurukuu is so happy that she forgot!"

Charlotte can be heard facepalming in response, but is otherwise content to leave Aoi to his fate.

Then, as if the world decided that such a level of chaos is insufficient, the Heavy Wind came around with a groan. "Louise...?" She asks.

"I'm here, mother!" Responds the pinkette.

The Heavy Wind shakes her head and gets up so that she can sit properly. "That was... Ugh... That was a true spell. Louise, you've done it." She seems at least somewhat unsteady for the moment. "You've made a fool out of everyone who ever doubted you. Cattleya will be overjoyed."

Louise isn't quite sure how to respond to that. Her mother's tone lacks much in the way of emotion, so it's hard to tell what she's actually feeling.

"To think that you wield the Void after all. I can't even begin to tell you..." Karin goes unsteady again for a moment before forcing herself back upright. "How proud of you I am right now."

"You're... not mad?" Asks Louise.

Then the room is treated to a very rare, almost unsettling sound. The Heavy Wind laughing. "Mad? _Mad_? I couldn't be happier! I was starting to think my family was cursed!" She starts to take off her armor, revealing a white undershirt and a pair of... hotpants of all things. She then sweeps her youngest daughter up in a hug. "I couldn't be happier that I am wrong!"

"...Did Mind Shock knock a few screws loose?" Asks Aoi quizzically.

"This is remarkably uncharacteristic of her." Notes Colbert.

"The two of you can just shut up." Karin sounds distinctly annoyed by the commentary. "...Speaking of which, what are you doing here, Colbert?"

"Well, I was mostly wondering what in the world Louise's summon was doing here again. Though part of my motivation stems from wishing to confirm my suspicions about her element. Judging from what you've just said, however, I think my suspicions are correct." Colbert explains.

"That Louise is a Void mage." Charlotte interjects.

"...You've already proven it?" Asks the professor.

"You're kinda late to the party, prof. She's even got a spell under her belt." The dragon explains a bit further.

"The Mind Shock spell you just mentioned?" Colbert sounds rather excited about this.

"Yup. Though I'm guessing you have some other way to prove it?" Aoi actually feels somewhat curious about this, so he feels the need to ask.

"There is. If Louise contracts with someone, her familiar should produce a set of runes on either their left hand, right hand, forehead, or over their heart. Each one represents the markings of a Void familiar." The professor speaks almost too rapidly for anyone to keep up with, but not quite.

"...So who do you plan to have her contract with?" Asks the dragon, attempting to dodge the obvious answer.

"Well, since she summoned you, would you not be the most fitting?" Responds the professor.

"Noooo! Big brother has to be saved for big sister!" Sylpheed makes her opinion of the matter known and manages to position herself so that she's almost blocking the slightly smaller hugee from view. "Or saved for Ikurukuu..." She mutters too quietly to hear while blushing.

"And to build on that answer." Aoi continues on in a muffled tone as if nothing happened. "Me. Public enemy number one. Just got done 'kidnapping' the princess to showboat and keep suspicion off Tristain. I am _not_ going to put Louise in danger just to satisfy intellectual curiosity."

"Ah. ...Wait, that's still going on?" Colbert seems rather surprised by that, even if he understands the dragon's concerns.

"Gallia's still a confirmed problem, Albion is almost certainly going to become one, and we need to smooth things over with Germania." Aoi explains.

"I see... Well, no pursuit of knowledge is worth the lives of others, especially those of my students." The professor seems somewhat disappointed, but understanding.

Karin, on the other hand, looks as though she's contemplating something. She then flicks her eyes toward Aoi.

He narrows his in response. "What are you up to."


	22. Not Invincible

=-=

"You know, all things considered, your mother having you set up a summoning circle a third time isn't the worst she could have done." Aoi notes while walking with the pinkette.

"It was highly disruptive, embarrassing, and on top of that I still can't contract with you for the time being." Louise sounds at least somewhat exhausted from the last hour or so of her mother being high-energy. "I don't know what's gotten into mother. She is the single most rule-abiding individual I know of, and here she is acting like... someone other than her."

"Probably the spell she demanded you cast on her. We know it disrupts mental functions, so it probably knocked her mind around hard enough to alter her personality for a while." The dragon rubs his chin as he thinks, then stops the pinkette. "I think this is the room?"

"Indeed, it is. Thank you." Louise pulls open the door and enters, with her summon close behind her.

"Gotta wonder why you're even bothering with classes, at this point. It's not like the teachers can or want to do anything for you." The dragon frowns while speaking.

"Why are you bothering with me? You have matters to attend to that are far more important!" Asks the pinkette, partly annoyed with the dragon and partly curious.

"Well, truth be told you being what you are is precisely why I'm sticking around and keeping an eye on you. Blake's capable of making do without me, and it turns out Germania isn't a cohesive nation like Tristian. He's been able to make some serious headway even with the resistance he's running into." Aoi pulls out a chair for his summoner, then occupies a chair next to her.

Louise sighs. "Honestly, we're in a classroom in the Tristian Academy of Magic. Should you even be talking about that here?"

"Eh, probably not, honestly." Aoi admits.

"Charlotte is right too, you shouldn't even be here either. She and Kirche, as much as I hate to admit that the Zerbst has value, are perfectly capable and discreet mages. Your very presence invites disaster." The pinkette props her head up on one arm, and despite her words she doesn't seem happy about them. She then looks to her summon. "Even if you contract with me, that won't make the issues magically vanish."

"...You know your mother's not going to be happy with that." The dragon points out.

"I feel like mother is overstepping her bounds here. As much as I would be happy to have you, and as much rank as my mother has, she cannot make the Gallia issue disappear either." She doesn't break eye contact, then frowns herself. "Come to think of it, why haven't you dealt with Joseph? You have the two people living at your home who could take over the Gallian throne, you wield power I cannot wrap my head around, and the ability to strike anywhere at any time. He isn't even a beloved or popular king."

She grows more curious as she goes and narrows her eyes, wondering just why it is that the brute force-loving individual next to her chose to bide his time instead. "In fact, if you did so that _would_ eliminate almost every single problem we're facing. Gallia would likely hail you as a hero, and whichever of the two who gets crowned Queen would no doubt back you in dealing with the other nations. Then you could play nice with Tristian and Germania's courts, appeal to the Pope, and likely gain the unrestricted access you need in a fortnight."

"You would then be a hero of Halkeginia as a whole. Once everyone understands what it is you're doing and why, they wouldn't reject you."

Aoi is unable to meet Louise's gaze as he responds. "Truth be told, it's because I'm not sure I can actually pull it off."

Louise raises an eyebrow at that. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's mostly because of that right hand woman of his. Whoever she is, she's got a lot of artifacts on her. So many that she's got answers for literally everything and anything I could do. Plus, Joseph himself is able to use the Void." Aoi eventually flicks his eyes over to meet Louise's.

"Why would that stop you? You can withstand mother's blows like a fortress. Surely those of the mad king can't be worse." Louise takes a moment to look at the clock to see what time it is, noting that it's still too early for the transmutation class they're waiting on.

"The Void seems to be able to bypass most forms of defenses and I have no idea how to block it. It'd be like someone shooting an arrow at a knight with his shield raised, only the arrow can ignore the shield, the armor, and impale his brain anyway." Aoi admits uncomfortably.

"He could actually kill you?" Suddenly, Louise comes to understand the dragon's position on things a bit better.

"He could easily do so. My body's... I'm not sure if I should describe it as being super-saturated with magic, or magic made to take the form of a physical body. Either way, the Void could damage it in ways conventional methods could only dream of. The only way I could kill him is if I hit him before he got any spells off." Aoi explains, looking somewhat deflated. "And with Sheffield in the way acting as defensive shielding herself, she can protect him well enough that I can't get through her defenses before Joseph can start casting."

"And then he punches through your defenses and you die." Louise looks at the desk before looking back at Aoi. "But you have those machines! The Void can't undo those as easily, can it?"

"A lot of Blake's machines run on magic themselves. We've got purely mechanical ones that don't use magic at all, but they do need fuel. Problem is, metal melts and fuel explodes if heated enough, and Sheffield has access to fire-spewing artifacts." The dragon waves his hand in an annoyed manner. "Even if they can get past that? The woman can just conjure up things to act as meat shields. If I could catch her on her own, I could probably take her out with some difficulty, but she sticks to Joseph like glue from what I can tell."

"And I've already considered long-ranged tactics. Joseph's got mobility enhancing skills on him, so if he sees it coming he can run away from it. A big enough boom would likely do it, but that'd cause collateral damage I'd prefer not to deal out."

"So it has to be a direct confrontation he thinks he can win." Louise continues on.

"Not necessarily one he's confident about, I just need to be able to punch through Sheffield without Joseph lending support." The dragon corrects the pinkette on that point.

Louise hums for a moment before speaking again. "So, if the Void defeats all other forms of magic, then this Sheffield woman's magic could be defeated in a similar manner."

"Well, probably. But Tiffi's not cut out for combat, and your mother will find a way to kill me if I got you wrapped up in regicide." Aoi points out.

"That's fine. This wind stone crisis is something that will affect all of Halkeginia should it come about, and Joseph is in the way of resolving it." Louise dismisses the notion before becoming a tad annoyed. "And it's not a burden you and Mr. Blake are going to bear by yourselves either. This is a Halkeginian problem, it should be solved by Halkeginian hands. Anyone who stands in the way of it may as well be a traitor to the Brimiric nations as a whole."

"Kinda like Joseph?" Notes the dragon.

"Exactly like that madman. Aoi, you should try to inform the Pope about this. There is no reason for you to have to remain enemies with Tristian, or any of the other nations. In fact, it's stupid of you to think that you have no choice." Louise full-on frowns as the gears in her head continue to turn. "In fact, if anything you should consider helping settle things in Albion too. If you reduce the number of threats the Brimiric nations are facing personally, that might also help you salvage the diplomatic option."

The dragon scratches the back of his head. "I'm going to have to deal with the Romalian Church eventually, aren't I?" He says in resignation.

"Why do you have a problem with them, anyway?" Louise arcs an eyebrow once more and grows somewhat agitated.

"It's half projection, have cultural history lesson that we really do not have time to discuss." Aoi looks at the clock, which prompts the pinkette to do the same.

"Then you'll tell me about it later. Now hurry up and leave already." The pinkette points at the dragon, who shakes his head.

"Amazing, it's almost like we're master and servant already." A pool of light forms under the dragon, and he disappears through it.

"...He really needs someone to balance him out properly. Cattleya would help keep him in line, but she's sick." Louise slumps forward on her desk, and will straighten right up come classtime.

=-=


	23. Expository Talk

=-=

"...So Mr. Aoi has passed the task off to you, and in turn you are asking me to accompany you to speak with the Pope over something you should have approached him with originally." Eleanor sips her cup of tea after more or less summarizing the situation.

"Essentially. You would easily be able to back up what I am saying, and to be honest I may be able to tolerate being there more easily if I have someone with me who isn't rabidly dogmatic." Blake sits across from the young woman, looking somewhat nervous about the whole thing.

Eleanor rubs her forehead in response. "Honestly, I cannot fathom why you can't deal with them on your own. You aren't... You are somewhat lacking in common sense, yes, but it is not as though you are a moron."

"That's just it. I have no idea how Romalia works and for _once_ I have access to someone who can tell me what I need to know ahead of time so it doesn't turn into a shootout." Blake drains his cup in one go and pours himself another. Seems he may be a bit of a stress drinker. "I wouldn't ask you for your help if I didn't need you."

Eleanor taps her fingers against the table and sighs. "Fiiiiine. Though admittedly this is one of your more sensible decisions lately. The first and foremost rule Romalia has is that the people who walk the streets of its cities may not carry weapons." She looks slightly shifty for the next part. "Magical foci are a grey area for mages."

"What about shields?" Asks the steampunk mage.

"Shields... I don't think they count as weapons. I presume you're referring to those elaborate clock face designed ones?" Eleanor gestures with her hand toward a display case with the said shield type in question. "If so, you can probably get away with claiming they're for decoration purposes so long as you don't talk about their counter-attack functions."

"Then that's a bit of a load off my shoulders. I'd be more comfortable with an Assaulter or two on hand in case things go south. This body simply isn't as durable as Aoi's, and I've almost gotten killed enough times where I'd rather exercise caution than be caught off-guard. Again." Blake relaxes slightly. "I'd take a Gatekeeper with me, but I don't think they'd buy the excuse of its back holstered magicannons as being simple solar collectors."

Eleanor snickers in response. That design is a silly one to her, but in an endearing way. As much as weapons capable of being both powerful magic attacks and bludgeons can be, anyway. "The guardians of the city aren't just going to try to kill you on sight, Mr. Blake. I know your Church is horrible, but ours was founded by mages. On top of that, you are a foreign delegate in a sense. They'd tolerate the cultural difference so long as you're not waving it about."

"I suppose. I assume there is also a small mountain of lesser rules that I am not aware of." The mage finishes off his second cup and leaves it at that.

"Naturally, but it shouldn't be that much of an issue. Unlike Mr. Aoi, you actually have something along the lines of common sense to fall back on." Eleanor rises from her seat, while Blake does the same just afterward. "Come to think of it, I am not entirely sure you ever explained just why you fear your world's Chruch so."

Blake snorts in response as he gestures for the wind mage to follow him. "Fear it? It's not the Church itself I'm worried about. It's gotten so fractured and broken over the centuries that it wields not even a fraction of what it used to. It's how wide-spread it is and the people who follow their own denomination that unnerves me."

Eleanor seems a touch skeptical. "How did that happen?"

"Well, in order to understand that, you have to understand that one of the larger virtues is not becoming materialistically bound to the world, and that one should spread their wealth to help those who need it. The Church had consistently hoarded money and power, and later often used it to build elaborate churches to show off their power and influence. People tend to notice if what you say and what you do are different." The two walk along a garden path that opens up into one that heads toward the beach.

"So they became hypocrites." Eleanor continues the line of thought.

"Among other things." Blake nods. "Though the biggest one of all is actually quite hilarious. A few hundred years ago three different nations tried to promote their own popes to lead the Church even though there is only ever supposed to be one, and that basically ensured that no one would ever take it completely seriously again."

The wind mage huffs in response. "Well no wonder they lost power! How can anyone put faith in a single leader, if no one can agree who that leader is?"

"Those aren't the only reasons, mind. The Roman Church and its subsequent splits were not and are still not perfect in any regard, leading to the overall lack of power in the political world. The reason I distrust them is because the earliest incarnations of the Church branded all magic the devil's work, and spent ages destroying or trying to destroy any they come across. Humans have a tendency to fear what they do not understand, and will either try to exploit it or destroy it." Blake explains while eventually coming to stop.

"We mages aren't extinct by any stretch, but we are raised to know that our arts are reviled by those who are ignorant of it, and too apathetic to learn about it." Blake casts a spell wordlessly, and forms a portal in front of them, through which a pair of shield-bearing Assaulters step trough. "And while your Church is founded by mages, my worry is that some of its members will be too dogmatic and zealous to be willing to listen." Another few motions and the portal changes, showing an overview of what is likely the city of Romalia.

"I cannot change your mind or your views, Mr. Blake, but perhaps it may be possible to show you that this land isn't out to kill you like you think it is." Eleanor grabs hold of Blake's arm firmly before leading him through the portal.

"W-wait! The destination isn't properly set...!" Was all the man could get out before Eleanor fell through the portal, accidentally dragging the steampunk mage with her.

-

Eleanor feels her face grow a brilliant shade of red as she realizes that perhaps letting Blake finish what it is he was doing would have been better than appearing an uncomfortably large distance above the city of Romalia's southern end. In fact, it would have been better still if there wasn't a high chance of one of them becoming a red smear on the ground as well. It would be best of all if she didn't embarrass herself like this at all, but sometimes her adventurous nature gets the better of her and none of those episodes ended even remotely like this.

Rather than fret about that, however, she pulls out a glass flute and begins to play it with one hand while pulling Blake against her with the other. With Romalia demanding that people not of its Holy Guard discard their weapons, mages of all sorts naturally figured out ways to get around that in discrete ways. Instruments, decorative objects, and so on were found to make for only slightly sub-optimal foci while still giving them that little bit of security they'd feel they'd need. So long as people didn't raise a stink about it, the Guard would typically turn a blind eye.

Using the wind itself to slow one's fall to the point where the landing is only going to be mildly uncomfortable instead of 'scattered your body parts across the entire city' will probably force her to give her flute up once they land and people start checking on them. She shuts her eyes tight and focuses solely on the song, fully expecting an impact with the earth... only for the impact to be quite a lot softer than she had anticipated. She stops playing and looks around her, noting that the two are back on a beach.

She doesn't even properly recognize that Blake is clinging to her and shaking like a leaf from the impromptu high-altitude drop. What she does notice is a large, tripedal automaton knight that appears to have generated the portal they must have fallen through to land back here.

[SUB-OPTIMAL PORTAL USE DETECTED.]  
[HIGH-ALTITUDE ENTRY INTO ROMALIAN AIRSPACE PRESUMED UNINTENDED.]  
[CORRECTED FOR DESCENT AND RETURNED USER BLAKE TO HOME BASE.]

Eleanor swallows once nervously. She had seen this automaton herself before, and even got a good up-close look at it. She was not prepared to hear it speak, however, as its voice is powerful. Each syllable feels as though it could crush a mountain by itself.

"T-thank you, Gatekeeper. Correct the point of entry to drop us off within five-hundred feet directly south of the city's southern entrance and no more than two feet above local ground level, and wait for my mark to generate the portal." Blake's voice returns to normal gradually as he looks up at the towering machine. He then looks back to the eldest daughter, and notes that he is indeed still all but latched onto her. "Let's... let's not do that again, please."

The young woman's face flushes slightly as she realizes just how tightly he's clinging on, and starts struggling despite herself. For all her knowing that this is entirely her fault, she can't quite help but feel like this is somehow indecent of her. "Alright, I'll wait next time, just let go!"

Blake manages to pry himself off and stand back upright, and waits for Eleanor to get up herself.

[YOU WORK QUICKLY, USER BLAKE.]

"Oh, who asked you? Activate the portal. Assaulter group one, you two are with us." Blake feels a bit snippy toward the machine, and looks to Eleanor again. "I recently used two or three Earth Stones to improve on the Gatekeeper's artificial intelligence. It seems to be developing a personality."

"Really? Earth Stones have been used to give Alviss the capacity to accept commands in the past, but using multiple... no, those are a very rare, expensive Stone to use. They've always been relegated to just one per construct because the more you use the more expensive the process becomes!" Eleanor switches to full researcher mode as she hears that point. "You... what are you, are you just _made_ of rare materials?!"

[USER BLAKE IS COMPRISED OF MULTIPLE ENERGY TYPES THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSMUTED INTO SOLID PHYSICAL MATTER.]  
[DESPITE THE POTENTIAL, HE HAS NOT GENERATED THE TYPE OF CRYSTAL YOU SPEAK OF.]

"So he _could_ make them?" Eleanor asks the machine, losing her earlier fear of it.

[IT IS SPECULATION. COMPOSITE EXPLORER UNIT AOI/ARENKON IS DESIGNED TO PRODUCE SUCH ITEMS TO-]

"Gatekeeper. That's not something you should speak of to guests and you damn well know it." Blake's attitude sours considerably. "Even if Eleanor is more trustworthy than most."

"Arenkon?" Eleanor looks to Blake then hopefully.

"...I'll explain as we move." Blake walks through the portal, leaving Eleanor and the two Assaulters to catch up with him.

-

"That... Aoi is a magic-based construct? That's... that's insane. No wonder he behaves so brazenly." Eleanor looks amazed and skeptical simultaneously. "Though what is Arenkon?"

"That's the name of Aoi's dragon form. It's comprised of mildly butchered transliterated Greek words that when translated into proper English, means 'Silver Radiance Dragon.' Given his overall theme, he felt it fits." Blake rolls his eyes, treating that revelation as little more than a slightly embarrassing story.

"I can see why he calls that form that, but why did he name it that?" Asks the wind mage quizzically.

"Because he thinks it sounds cool." The steampunk mage's voice is quite flat as he says that.

"Your partner is a very simple individual." Eleanor notes as the city of Romalia grows ever closer.

"Until he starts messing with you, at which point he's impossible to read." The steampunk mage notes.

Eleanor then hums a bit as she thinks. "So do you have a similar transformation?"

"Not as of current, no. For Aoi, being able to transform into a more offense-oriented form is a necessity. My existence emphasizes the pursuits of the mind." Blake places a hand on his chest to emphasize himself.

"Somehow I don't buy that completely, seeing as you tend to build things a certain way more out of appeal than anything else." The wind mage raises an eyebrow at that explanation. "Besides, it wouldn't hurt you to tell me something like that. We already can't stop your friend."

"It's not... good lord, we really must look that brutish to you all." Blake sighs as he considers his current position in life. "Fine, I have schematics for such a transformation, but I need a fairly complex set of materials and more Earth and Fire stones than I'm really willing to invest in this at the moment. Aoi brings enough firepower to the table as-is."

"Not even for the sake of a trump card?" The eldest daughter's curiosity is clearly getting the better of her.

"...Aoi's expressed his concern that I may be too easy to kill, and was the one who suggested that I follow in his footsteps. He thought up an earth-element counterpart serpent dragon, which he named Skogeazo, or 'Dark Earth Construct.' I already mentioned the material problems." Blake finally relents as he lets slip something that almost sounds embarrassing.

"Ah, we should probably drop the conversation. I think the Holy Guard is in earshot now." Eleanor points out, noting that they are incredibly close to the city entrance at this point.

"Now to see how they react to us." States Blake simply.

=-=


	24. Announcing One's Self

=-=

"Greetings, travelers!" One of the Holy Guards hails the eldest daughter and the outsider as they approach. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the city of Romalia. Might I ask what your reason is for coming here?"

"We came here to see the Pope himself, if at all possible. There's a certain ongoing problem that he should be updated on." Eleanor steps in before Blake can even open his mouth.

"The Pope is done accepting visitors for the day, but if the situation is dire enough he may see you regardless. Your name, miss? And that of your escort as well."

"I am Eleanor Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere, head researcher of the Tristian Research Academy. My escort is simply referred to as Blake, as he does not wish to divulge his family name." It wasn't entirely uncommon for certain nobles to not wish to be associated with their family names, although the circumstances are usually extreme. "This is in regards to the earth's breath."

The Guard snaps his eyes up at the eldest daughter and writes a note quickly yet frantically before handing it off to a messenger. "My apologies, Pope Vittorio has been waiting for an update on the situation for quite some time. He will no doubt receive you both to discuss the matter."

"Thank you. Just to note, neither of us are armed." Eleanor notes, pushing things back toward formalities.

"And the constructs?" Asks the Guard.

"Servants, in a sense. We're testing a more defensively capable Earth Golem that utilize Earth Stones to augment their durability beyond the capacity of prior defensive models. Later models will be more discreet in appearance." Eleanor states with absolute authority. "They are also unarmed, and are on strict non-combat protocols."

The Holy Guard nods. "Splendid! It's good to see Tristian putting out such fine-quality work. Feel free to explore the city while you wait. Sir Caesar will locate you once the Pope has been made aware of your presence."

"Thank you, and good day, Sir Dalca." The eldest daughter states somewhat fondly.

"Good day to you as well, Lady Valliere, Sir Blake." Dalca nods as he permits them entry. He can be heard grumbling in a good-natured way as the two move on. "Honestly, she's here often enough. We shouldn't need to keep having her announce herself all the time."

-

"That went remarkably well." Blake states once they're out of earshot of the guards.

"Largely because you let me do the talking." While the eldest daughter's gaze is sharp, her words almost come off as more along the lines of gentle ribbing.

"I won't deny that. You have a level of poise in that scenario that I cannot hope to match." Blake seems to take it seriously, however.

Eleanor simply sighs in response. "Sir Dalca is one of the more tolerant members of the Holy Guard, and one I happen to have dealt with semi-regularly in the past. He most likely wouldn't have been an issue regardless of which of us spoke to him." She grabs hold of his arm again, this time without the impromptu skydiving lesson. "You're such a bundle of nerves right now."

Blake jolts lightly as the physical contact, but recovers quickly enough. "The last time I went to deal with a nation's leader-"

"Was King Joseph, yes. Pope Vittorio could not be more different from that man if he tried. I understand you've been burned in the past, but you must be able to trust us if we are to properly lend you our aid." The eldest daughter's voice sounds a touch cross as she deals with the issue again.

"I know, I know..." The steampunk mage trails off as he tries to take his mind off the impending meeting. "This city has beggars?" He notes as he sees a man asking for money from passerby.

"Romalia takes in unfortunate people of all sorts to give them a second chance at life." Eleanor explains. "But the process has always been riddled with problems, and some Cardinals won't give the issue the time of day. Pope Vittorio has been working to change that, but it is a slow process."

"As is anything tied to bureaucracy." Blake all but spits at the concept. "These Cardinals could likely fix this issue overnight if they were so inclined. This city doesn't exactly look poor."

"Indeed, this city is far from poor. However, the Cardinals will not unify to solve its problems so long as they have their own agendas to pursue." A young man with blond hair and different colored eyes chimes in. He appears quite well dressed.

"Sir Caesar. That was a prompt response. We could not have been wandering for more than five minutes." Eleanor greets the newcomer cordially before mentioning that.

"Ah, a message must have been sent ahead to the Pope, then. I simply found it unusual that you would come here without any proper prior warning. I take it something has come up?" Julio asks while looking over Blake.

"The situation with the Earth's Breath has changed." Eleanor states simply.

"No doubt because of your friend, here." Julio notes casually before looking at Blake again. "Honestly, you could have at least tried to hide your identity. You haven't even changed the design of your automatons."

"I was under the impression that this land was far enough away from the conflict that word of it would not have spread." Blake states flatly.

"It has, for the most part. Most of Romalia has little interest in your actions. However, the Pope has noted that you are working toward ending a certain crisis, and has expressed an interest in meeting you in person. However, I did not think fortune would be so spontaneous." Julio states while shaking his head. "And despite your infamy, you've secured the help of Tristian's most prominent researcher. You may yet prove to be an impressive individual."

"Impressively foolish, you mean." Eleanor states.

Julio raises an eyebrow at that comment, looks at the formal way she has a hold of Blake's arm, then smiles in an infuriating manner. "Trading barbs, Lady Valliere? It's equally rare to see you do that."

"You haven't been dealing with this man long." The eldest daughter replies. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes, let's." Julio's mood was already good coming into this, but it seems like the situation will be good for some amusement.

=-=


	25. A Suave Escort

=-=

"To be perfectly honest, I didn't think the elusive mage would ever actually come out of hiding. If it's not too much to ask, what changed?" Asks Julio, his curiosity peaked.

"It was mostly because my partner was starting to run into people who weren't complete psychopaths. Originally I had started to assume that insanity and irrationality were the norm for the nobility and the nation leaders." Blake responds casually, treating this without any sense of urgency. "King Wales willingly had an entire extended family butchered over the possibility of one of the Archdukes harboring an elf, Joseph is off his rocker entirely, and our introduction to Tristian wasn't exactly pleasant."

"And since you mentioned Tristian last, I presume that the first non-psychopath is Princess Henrietta?" Julio guesses.

"Indeed. She dealt with my partner's antics rather well, all considering." The steampunk mage's attention isn't devoted entirely to the conversation, and is looking around.

"Which was?" The right hand of god seems to be fishing for an explanation, since this is one of the few events he isn't at least somewhat aware of.

"The idiot dragon kidnapped the princess." Eleanor butts in, providing a very brief, pointed explanation.

Needless to say, it wasn't the answer Julio expected. "...Come again?"

"Aoi felt the need to speak to Henrietta about Joseph's nature, so he decided the best way to do that was to take her by force." Blake appears to have portaled himself in a cup of coffee, which hasn't gone unnoticed by Eleanor.

Said eldest daughter stares at the steampunk mage skeptically. "I'm not sure if your choice of wording was deliberate or not."

If Julio were drinking something at this point in time, he surely would have choked. Instead, he whips around and stares at Blake in utter, speechless disbelief.

"Well, how would you phrase 'a dragon kidnapped a princess?'" Blake ignores the Right Hand's shocked look in order to focus on Eleanor.

"I'd phrase it as 'the best way to do that was to ensure privacy!'" Eleanor snaps at the steampunk mage, having been convinced that he did in fact do that on purpose.

"That could also be mistaken for something it's not." Blake points out as he takes a sip of his drink.

"As if your choice of words was any better!" Despite the bickering, the wind mage appears to be keeping a solid grip on Blake's arm.

"Just to be clear, your partner simply kidnapped Henrietta and did not elope with her, correct?" Asks Julio as he senses the need to clear the matter up before it gets any more outlandish.

"He did kidnap her, and later returned her. With her chastity intact." The steampunk mage frowns. "Honestly, I know we can come off as unreasonable brutes, but Aoi isn't the sort to forcibly take someone in _that_ way."

Meanwhile, Eleanor rubs her forehead with her free hand while wondering exactly how different the dragon and the mage really are. That and the steampunk mage may be giving her something of a headache. "Can we just stop with the awkward conversation already?!"

"It would be better if you didn't start rumors like that. Princess Henrietta's position among her people isn't secure." Julio eventually agrees, though he's back to smiling. "Her mother refused to lead Tristian due to mourning her late husband, leaving the young woman in an unenviable spot as you are most likely aware."

"Yes, yes, and the jackals will no doubt be scanning for any weakness they can exploit." Blake nods, though it sounds as though he doesn't need to be reminded of what he was already brought up to date on.

The group starts to move again. "Indeed. As a word of advice, I would recommend looking into Albion once we're done here. While it has no bearing on your objective, leaving that incident be could deny you possible allies." Julio notes.

Eleanor looks to Julio. "I presume you're referring to mending relations with Tristian?"

The Right Hand nods. "Indeed. Once your presence as a savior is known, your being in good standing with the Princess would be mutually beneficial, I think." He then looks to Eleanor. "Tristian as of current would not be able to withstand an invasion, yes?"

"...It would not. Mother is one of our most powerful mages, and our mage to commoner ratio is among the highest, but in terms of military might Albion beats us out. Their armada would give them an overwhelming advantage." Admits the wind mage. "It's why the rumor mill has generated a few hints that Henrietta is entering a political marriage with the king of Germania."

"Nudge wink antics aside, I take it that's an indirect comment that I should divert my already insufficient forces to aid in fighting a war?" Blake seems less than amused where this is going.

Julio nods in affirmation. "Though I believe that you would only need to send in one person, really. The mere presence of the Seraph Dragon would no doubt weaken their resolve."

Blake snorts in amusement. "Is _that_ what they're calling him now?"

"I prefer 'bastard dragon', myself." Eleanor chimes in.

"He has earned a fair few titles. The Silver Tyrant, the Sky-Splitter, the Vengeance of Sachen-Gotha... some have even likened him more to a force of nature rather than anything living." The Right Hand's smile never fades, and if anything he seems to find this all amusing. "The Reconquista would no doubt fear his presence if he were to arrive."

"He prefers 'Silver Radiance Dragon.'" Blake takes it in stride, however, and offers Aoi's preferred title.

Julio actually laughs a bit. "He really is something else. I would like to meet him in person sometime."

"He may wind up on Albion with or without me saying anything, so I'm not terribly worried." Blake replies. "Is this the place?" He looks up at a rather large, impressive structure.

"This is indeed the place. Come, the Pope is waiting."

-

The Pope maintains a sense of calm as he awaits his guests. He hardly expected a letter from the Holy Guard to drop in out of the blue stating that Lady Valliere has arrived with an update on the Wind Stone crisis, but even _less_ so that the one making real progress in the event is travelling with her. So of course he has to set time out of his day to receive both. The fact that Julio had the foresight to find out why the two are even in the city to start with is a bonus, as far as he's concerned.

It could be said that Vittorio was actually feeling somewhat hopeful. Finding someone who will act for the greater good regardless of the price is too rare for his tastes. Too many are focused on the smaller picture and personal problems, and won't act to stop a crisis until it's too late.

=-=


	26. Meeting the Pope

=-=

It never ceases to amaze Eleanor at how Pope Vittorio is arguably one of the youngest ever, as the sheer amount of work that goes into the role cannot be overstated. So much so that logical thought would suggest that Vittorio is either a genius, or he's such a complete and utter fanatic that he spent every waking moment of his life prior to his appointment to his position studying. The part that annoys her is that she doesn't know the man well enough to be able to tell which one is right. Part of her would rest easier not knowing, however.

She locks eyes with the Pope once, her sharp eyes meeting his calm ones as she and her escort approach. Once they've reached an appropriate distance, she subtly motions for Blake to stop while Julio continues on to take his position at his master's side. "Greetings, your Holiness."

"Greetings, Professor Valliere. I would enter into formalities, but given the reason you are here I feel that it would not be the most prudent use of our time." Vittorio replies in a mellow tone.

"I agree. However, for once there is some good news. Tristian's Wind Stone deposits have been reduced to below-critical levels. Mr. Blake has bought our nation some time, though he has taken more forceful measures than necessary." Eleanor never quite feels completely at ease around the Pope, which makes sense given his position relative to her own.

"Ah, yes, the conflict between the elusive mage's forces and Tristian's army. An unfortunate turn of events, but no doubt a necessary one." Pope Vittorio nods in acknowledgement and approval before looking to Blake. "I cannot thank you enough for taking matters into your own hands as you have. If the Windstone Crisis were allowed to happen, I have no doubt in my mind that our civilization as we know it would be no more."

"I am more than happy to help, and there is a fair bit of benefit for me to do so." Blake responds as he tries to get a measure of the man standing before him.

"No doubt. The Wind Stone clusters are massive, and if unearthed as they are could fuel airships and related matters for generations." The Pope smiles faintly for reasons known only to him. "Though you are no doubt busy working on other nations, now that we have met in person I can give you permission to mine out the Windstone deposits threatening Romalia. Gallia and Germania will not be quite as receptive to the idea, however."

"Your actions in Gallia are no secret, Sir Blake." Julio chimes in to offer explanation. "The total destruction of a Windstone node is a very hard thing to miss. Not to mention you successfully kidnapping both Charlotte de Gallia and Ophelia de Gallia, and defeating an elf to do it!"

"You're quite well-informed." Blake frowns slightly in response to hearing that.

"Romalia makes a point of being at least somewhat aware of the workings of other nations, in case one gets too greedy." Vittorio speaks again. "Joseph's... madness is something we have not missed, and Julio has compiled quite the report on your actions against him. It is a shame that his daughter would be the next in line for the throne were he removed from it. Your harboring two members of the Gallian royal family would go a long way toward stabilizing the region were that not the case."

"And that would help my efforts immensely. The Gallian military is still too strong for me to take on directly, and in order to do so I'd essentially have to halt all other operations in the interim. We're on a rather strict timetable as-is." The steampunk mage states.

Vittorio's expression turns grim. "Do you have an estimate?"

"This land has approximately two to three years before chunks start getting torn out of it." Blake supplies. Eleanor feels no need to interject now that she's seen Professor Wardes' own research on the matter.

"...That is not much time at all. Perhaps even for one such as you." The Pope nods solemnly. "Though with our knowledge that Joseph has entered into some kind of agreement with at least one elf, that will be grounds for grand heresy. It will not be difficult to convince the other Cardinals to mobilize an Inquisition against the mad king. One way or another, he will be removed from his seat of power, and from there we will be able to place who we wish on his throne."

"That's for the best, seeing as the man wishes to _weaponize_ the crisis for his own use." Blake all but spits the word out, showing clear disdain for the mad king and his ambitions.

Just as Julio had done when he heard about Aoi kidnapping Henrietta, Vittorio's own eyes go wide. "What...?"

"It's what he originally asked us to do once we demonstrated our ability to reach the wind stone nodes. It's why my partner and I had to destroy the one we located." Blake explains, which does nothing but worry the Pope further.

Julio, however, chimes in. "Come to think of it, given your capabilities, why didn't you just steal the entire node instead?"

"You are aware of how volatile those stones are, right? I can target any location I am aware of, but if handled improperly the node would have just exploded anyway. Joseph had his men secure the mining site in the middle of our fending off his military and pet projects, meaning that even if we weren't being hounded, we were in no position to retake the site." The steampunk mage gestures with the mug in his hand. "If we left it, that's a huge cluster of potent crystallized wind magic in the hands of someone who shouldn't have it."

"You did as anyone would have, do not worry." The Pope reassures the steampunk mage over his actions. "For Joseph's destructive ambitions to have reached that point... No, perhaps he was like that all along, and we could not see it. He plays the role of the fool well." He then sighs in a resigned manner. "I was hoping that conditions would be better for us to act, but it appears that we may have to contend with the Reconquista and Joseph simultaneously."

"That does leave us in a bit of a pinch. Henrietta has potential as a leader, but she's young and her nation doesn't support her fully. Albion and Gallia are both effectively enemies, and you're fighting Germania to get access to the nodes you need to remove to render the area safe. That means everyone is spread out except for the ones we actually need to stop." Julio muses, his smile long faded.

"Albion will be easy. If the leader of the Reconquista is silenced, then the entire movement will no doubt crumble soon afterward. Only a small team would be needed to end that." Vittorio notes, his tone returning to something more neutral. "The main threat is Joseph himself."

"I can't pull miracles out of my hat, your Holiness." Blake states simply.

"I would not expect you to, Sir Blake. You are working a grand miracle already, one that ideally should go undisturbed. To be honest, I was hoping that at least one more miracle would occur." The Pope states in a slightly disappointed tone.

"If it's not too much trouble, what would that be?" Blake drops the now empty through a portal as he says that.

"The appearance of another Void mage. Albion's has not appeared yet, and neither has Tristian's. Those who command the Void command great power, Sir Blake, power enough to strike down even the mightiest of foes. With a Void mage on our side, ending Joseph would be easy." The Pope's tone is both hopeful and solemn.

"I doubt that. Joseph himself may be a Void mage as well. One of his servants is adept in handling magical artifacts, and has glowing runes on her forehead." Though Blake refrains from commenting on Julio's hands for the time being. It was a brief thing, but he could have sworn he saw runes on the man's right hand.

"That would be the Mind of God. Ideally, the Left Hand of God or the Heart of God would be a match for such a foe, but those roles are tied to Tristian and Albion's respective Void mages. It is no wonder that you had difficulty in dealing with Joseph." Vittorio nods in understanding as he explains.

Eleanor shifts while trying to decide whether or not to tell the Pope about her youngest sister. On the one hand, if the Pope is looking for Void mages it may be safe to tell him about her. On the other, it could still end badly for Louise. As her elder sister, she feels that she cannot take the risk and remains silent, though she files the thought away for later.

"Is something the matter, Lady Valliere?" Asks the Right Hand, having noted her discomfort.

"The fact that Joseph commands that much power is disconcerting, to say the least. With him being as unstable as he is with the power he wields, it would be trivial for him to go on a campaign of genocide that we would be hard-pressed to stop." Eleanor doesn't try to dissuade Julio, but rather to give him a line formed from another real concern she has.

"Which is why the man must be stopped as soon as possible. There is no point in bringing salvation to the Brimiric nations if they will simply be ravaged by another force immediately afterward." Pope Vittorio responds this time before looking to Blake once more. "For the time being, though I recognize that I have no authority to ask you anything, I would none the less recommend that you cease work on Germania for the time being and relocate your operations to Romalia. I will use the time to help that nation understand just what it is you are doing for them."

"I will assist in your reconciling with Tristian as well, if needed. You are too important as an ally and savior to throw away over petty matters." The Pope continues, having more to say.

"Thank you. That will make my life much easier." Blake responds.

"One last thing: If you do run across any users of the Void that we don't know about, please let us know. We can help them as no one else can." Julio interjects.

"I'll bear that in mind, but understand that such a task is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I can guarantee nothing." Blake shakes his head slightly.

Eleanor couldn't help but note both the irony involved, and that Blake appears to be actively protecting Louise and Tiffania both by feigning ignorance in the matter. In truth, it is likely that the outsider mage could help the two more than even the Pope himself ever could, and without even the slightest hint of wanting to use their talents for his own goals. While Vittorio isn't necessarily a bad man or Pope, the Cardinals have a fair bit of notoriety themselves.

"I would not expect you to promise anything in regards to such a matter. Though I thank you for lending us aid in that manner. I cannot express how important it is for us to have superior might in dealing with Joseph, and two Void mages will likely be able to defeat one." The Pope responds after a moment. "That being said, I will not keep you here any longer than necessary. Lady Valliere, Sir Blake, may you both have God's blessing in the trying times ahead."

"May fortune smile upon us all, your Holiness. We'll need every scrap we can get." Blake states simply before generating a portal beneath himself and Eleanor, the latter of the two giving a small 'eep' sound as she feels the 'ground' give way from under her.

A few moments pass before the Pope speaks again.

"So, what do you think, Julio?" Asks the Pope.

Julio rubs his chin in thought. "Lady Valliere isn't being completely honest. It's true Joseph is a concern, but I'd wager something else is weighing on her mind."

"And Sir Blake is being simultaneously guarded and receptive. He doesn't trust either of us." Vittorio closes his eyes in thought.

"Trust comes with time, master. It's only natural that he doesn't bear everything to us on the first meeting." Julio responds with a reasonable conclusion.

"One step at a time, then." Vittorio concludes.

-

Eleanor and Blake land safely on a white sand beach one one of the islands in the archipelago the latter claims as his territory.

"I can't help but think that those two are jockeying for some kind of position." States Blake in an annoyed manner.

"That's obvious. You're a powerful potential asset who can and will change the playing field on a whim." The wind mage supplies her own theory on the matter.

"It's still annoying." The steampunk mage states the obvious.

"That is true, but as much as I hate to admit it things will go much smoother with them than without them." Eleanor pulls Blake along lightly so the two can walk along the beach.

"I also noticed you held off on telling the Pope about Louise." The steampunk mage locks eyes with his peer.

"...I couldn't help it. Louise isn't ready for whatever they'd saddle her with." Eleanor breaks eye contact worse and moves in a bit closer. "She's not a delicate flower, but she is still new to her power and as much as it makes no sense for me to do so I trust you with her future more than I trust Romalia."

"Well, we do have a Void artifact, and Henrietta's supplying us with another one potentially in exchange for a favor." Blake notes. "We have confirmed assets, Vittorio is only offering potential assets."

"That and she is among friends here. ...I want Louise to be happy, not to be stuck in the Church's grip. As much as I dislike that bastard dragon, he has been more of a boon to her than you could ever understand." Eleanor's normally volatile mood appears to have disappeared completely for the moment. "...And it may be wise for the two to contract soon. I don't think we can keep her status a secret for too much longer. Not with the Pope having an active interest in Void mages."

"And it would be better if she has a dedicated protector. I'll talk to Aoi and see if he'll agree. With the Pope himself smoothing relations over, it'll be easier to justify allowing my partner to go into that role." Blake relents in the matter at least somewhat.

"Thank you, Blake." Says the wind mage before the two turn the topic to other things.

=-=


	27. Whoops

=-=

"So basically, the meeting went about as well as you expected it to." Aoi sits across from his partner, with Charlotte to his side, and Louise on the other. "Weird that he didn't bother outing himself as a Void mage though. It's not like either of us care."

"It's part of why I held off on telling him about Louise and Tiffania. If he's not going to come right out and say it, or explain everything I feel no need to drop them into his hands like that." Blake crosses his arms and leans back on his chair slightly. "Other than that, we've got permission to work on Romalia's lands and the Pope advised us to pull out of Germania for the time being while he smooths things over with them."

"...Not sure I like that proposal, honestly. You're pretty well-established and Germania's fractured to the point where they can't even unite against us like Tristian did." The dragon scratches his head as he thinks. "Not to mention he could just be using the opportunity to study our machines and techniques. I know Matilda brought that possibility up more than once."

Charlotte turns a page in a book she's reading. "Don't need to shift everything."

"I know, I'm probably just being a bit paranoid here." Aoi acknowledges the bluette.

"Not paranoid, just skeptical." The Gallian Princess notes. "Romalian history isn't innocent."

"And Maxwell is only about half-finished too. If we had that, then it'd be less of an issue." Blake states in an annoyed tone as he taps his foot.

Louise finally pipes up after feeling mildly lost. "What is Maxwell, exactly?"

"Non-humanoid mecha designed to manipulate fire and ice." Charlotte provides a succinct answer. "Intended to be a defensive machine."

"Exactly. It's as strong as the Gatekeeper in its own way, so it could potentially defend a dig site single-handedly." Blake adds on to that a little.

Aoi taps his fingers on the table. "Well, I know it's a pain but we could double up on Romalia and turn that dig site into a forward base in case anything goes south. I know mages can read the earth to a degree, but I don't think they can tap into it well enough to tell if we're stripping out ores, metals, and jewels that far down."

"Justify it as required material for supports." Charlotte chimes in again.

"...It's not as fast, but I could shift strategies to deal with two nations at once. Once the Digger-class automatons have moved underground completely it will be easier to just hide them. Problem is that they'll have to bore through more earth and create support structures for the required tunnels, and there's no way to vent the wind magic safely if any of the wind stones detonate." Blake finally provides what could be the biggest reason why he doesn't just keep everything concealed beneath the earth.

Aoi cringes. "Riiiiight, that part."

The pinkette looks at the dragon quizzically.

"Well, you know about that week-long dust storm Gallia suffered?" Aoi starts.

Louise nods.

"Well, that's what happens if a node goes up and has proper ventilation." The dragon continues. "Now imagine if that much wind magic had nowhere to go."

"Catastrophe." Charlotte provides, since she knew about that already. "Wind magic would be sufficient to destroy the mine, and raise the earth short term."

"And by short term, she means a huge chunk of earth would rise up for anywhere from five minutes to an hour, then crash back down somewhere else when the wind stones deplete themselves at an accelerated pace." The dragon bounces off the princess' explanation to finish painting the picture.

"Oh." Louise blanches slightly as she recalls the demonstration Aoi had given before about what the Wind Stone crisis would do. Then something clicks in her mind. "Wait, you blew up that node because you didn't want Joseph to get his hands on it, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Asks the dragon.

"If he knows what happens if you set one off, wouldn't he work toward setting off another?" She asks simply.

"...Well _shit_. I didn't even think of that." Admits Aoi as he considers the idea. "He'd do it, too, but I don't think he can get down that far yet."

Charlotte almost drops her book as she stares at Louise wide-eyed. "Uncle might be close."

"How close?" Asks Blake.

"Don't know. Joseph is more open-minded than most rulers. His research division has full permission to take whatever measures it has to, Romalia be damned." Charlotte slips into what could be considered her more natural speech pattern as she explains things as well as she can. "Now that he's seen it, it's an option to him. ...And he still has that elf."

"Well we're just screwing everything up, aren't we?" Aoi facepalms in response.

"I think we just have to chalk that one up to bad luck on our part. I'll need to start working on a way to generate a translocation system in case that crops up." Blake pulls out a tablet and starts jotting down notes on it. "Though potential madman-caused disasters aside, there is one other topic that should be addressed while we're here."

All eyes are on Blake as he speaks again. "I think we need to bite the bullet and let you contract with Louise, Aoi."

The pinkette understandably looks hopeful.

Meanwhile, the dragon frowns. "Things degenerated that much?"

"It's more along the lines of a precautionary measure. Vittorio wants to bring the other Void mages under his banner, or at least it's a reasonable assumption, and I'd rather make sure that the two we know of are protected." Blake points out. "There's also no telling if or when Joseph may take an interest, and Shajal has pointed out more than once that the elves will intervene once they know all four Void mages are active."

"Meanwhile, Tiffi's easy to hide, but you, Louise, have a life outside of this place." He then looks to the pinkette. "Your powers are growing and won't remain secret forever. Eleanor and I both feel that it will be better if you have someone dedicated to your protection."

Charlotte pieced two and two ages ago, and frowns. "Don't like it."

Aoi looks to the bluette. "I know, I kinda don't like it either." He looks to Louise. "Not because of you, I'm just not fond of the idea of being collared in a sense."

Blake simply stares with an eyebrow raised.

"That is that, and this is this." Aoi responds cryptically. "...Anyway, I don't object to the idea that much, but aren't we out of position for me to take up that role?"

"We were, but we can take advantage of Romalia for the time being. If Germania gets its act together I can just pull out completely." Blake shrugs.

"Alright, alright, but if I contract with Louise, you need to contract with Tiffi and adopt the Skogeazo form." Aoi crosses his arms.

"...Why does our contract have to be under a condition like that?" Louise sounds offended and annoyed at the conversation as a whole.

"It's because with the number of people able to come and go freely, there's every possibility that sooner or later someone's going to show up that we _don't_ want here." Aoi explains to Louise. "And it'd take a load off my shoulders to know that the people here are protected by someone who's just as strong as I am. Not even counting the possible benefits from the contracts we're about to enter."

Louise looks surprised by that. "Blake's as strong as you are?"

"We're both magic-created constructs. Blake's not as good in a fistfight but he's better at magic, but when we both assume dragon forms even that difference will go out the window." The dragon explains. "Anyway, I'm not trying to offend you, I just want to be sure that if I'm going to focus on protecting you that there'll be someone around here who can protect those here just as well."

Louise simply grumbles under her breath.

Meanwhile, Blake looks similarly unamused for different reasons. "Fine, fine. Once I get Tiffi and explain things to her, we'll get the contracts sorted out."

=-=


	28. No Fine Print

=-=

All in all, it hadn't taken long at all to bring the relevant parties up to speed in regards to the contract situation, though the concept of Joseph being able to cause mass destruction even without the outsider pair was conveniently left out for the time being. Though it is an important issue, it's also something best left for when everyone can focus their attention on it instead of having it nagging at the back of their minds.

That being said, the situation feels a touch surreal for all involved. After all, who would have expected the elusive mage and his dragon partner to willingly enter a familiar contract with people who quite frankly seem to have nothing to do with them? Similarly, neither Tiffania nor Louise truly expected to wind up being their 'masters.' Though despite the phrasing of the ritual, none present make the mistake of thinking that anyone is inherently less than another.

Which makes it difficult for Louise to actually kiss Aoi to seal the contract. She can't see him as a mere familiar, not after seeing as much of his power in action as she has. Not after talking with him as she has. To her, it almost feels like she'd be sullying something by doing this.

To his credit, the dragon kneeling before her is being patient and waiting without a word. He knows the young woman in front of him is having a hard time of it, almost as though she's scared to take hold of her future. Which makes enough sense to him. How long had she endured being dismissed as a 'failure' by nearly everyone? Years upon years of conditioning have to be overcome for the span of... two, maybe three seconds.

To contrast, Tiffania and Blake appear to be done already, with the former hiding her face with her favorite sunhat while Blake is reclining in a beach chair and giving her time to cool down from it. Shajal is off to the side and finds the whole situation mildly amusing while Matilda seems to be trying to tease the steampunk mage over it. Somehow, the latter two's sniping at each other cannot be heard by the dragon and the pinkette.

Not that Louise hadn't noticed how easily the half-elf and the steampunk mage contracted with each other. In truth, she's envious. The two know each other so well that it took them both mere seconds, and had finished it without a second thought. Yet here she is, unable to make the last step. Her face flushes red out of embarrassment and fury at herself, and she casts her eyes downward, breaking contact with Aoi. There is literally no reason for her to not do this, but every time she leans in it feels like her heart is ready to jump out of her throat and her whole body goes tense.

So naturally, she's completely and utterly unprepared when the dragon lifts her chin up with his hand and meets her halfway. Her eyes go wide and her breath catches in her throat as she feels his lips on hers and that odd smell of spring in her nose.

So much so that she completely forgot to actually _finish_ the ritual. Her wand arm had gone limp almost immediately, sliding the tip off the dragon's head and pointing it at the ground uselessly.

Aoi pulls away with a positively radiant smile while Louise sputters and stammers. She can't actually get mad at him since all he did was help her when she was waffling.

"So... I guess that's it?" Asks the dragon. He checks his left hand, noticing that there isn't anything there, which is odd to him.

Louise blinks as she notices her wand pointing at the ground. "o-oh..." She realizes weakly. With people watching. The added turmoil of emotions flowing through her causes her to drop to her knees. "I couldn't even get _that_ right..."

The dragon just pulls Louise against him, something that makes her squeak lightly. "We can just do this later if you're feeling overwhelmed."

Louise pauses for a minute as she tries to get her emotions back under control. While Aoi's suggestion is perfectly reasonable, to her it feels as though she'd be giving up. To her, this is nothing short of unacceptable since her mother told her in the past that so long as she keeps trying, she will support her youngest daughter. If she gives up on herself, that's the end of it.

"No..." She says weakly at first. "No." Then again with more conviction, with a tinge of anger to it. Anger and pride have never served her well in the past and she knows it. Even here, they aren't the best tools for the job, but they are ones she's familiar enough with to turn her attitude around. As her mind had decided so long ago, if all else fails, get angry about it. "It's literally just a kiss. I am not so incompetent that I cannot even manage that!"

She locks eyes with the dragon again. "And on top of that, that was my first! You were supposed to let me give it freely, not steal it like it's some kind of ripened fruit left out on a shelf!"

"Well, you are pretty tasty-looking..." Aoi looks thoughtful as he contemplates the pinkette. While it may sound like the dragon is being an idiot, in truth he's trying to predict what would set Louise off in the right way. If getting angry will help her, then he'll give her something to get angry about.

Louise's eye twitches. "Why you..." Her free hand balls up into a fist as she lightly jabs Aoi's forehead with her wand. "Blessed elements of the founder! Make this man my partner!" She all but shouts. The dragon can tell she utterly butchered the phrasing, which may or may not change what happens next. "And if you want me so badly, then you'd better to be prepared to take everything!"

She leans forward and uses her free hand to grab the back of Aoi's head and press her lips against his more forcefully this time. _This_ time Aoi can feel the runes forming on his left hand. Eventually she pulls away, looking slightly breathless and quite annoyed.

The dragon simply smirks and shakes his head.

"Choose your next words carefully, bastard." Louise seems to be emulating her oldest sister on a bad day at the moment, but at the same time there's a vague sense of her not necessarily meaning it.

"It's kinda funny. You know how Blake and I are both constructs who are more or less meant to repair the gate system that we have that connects Earth and Halk, right?" Aoi asks.

"Yes, what does that have to do with it?" Asks Louise quizzically.

"The entire point of our existence basically _stopped_ at that. We were kinda directionless for a while, and even after saving Tiffi and Shajal we kept drifting in a sense because we had no idea what to do with ourselves." The dragon states. "I guess that's why we took to saving Halk as readily as we did. It gave us something to do."

"What are you trying to say?" The pinkette frowns as she can't quite get at what he's saying.

"I guess you could say you give my existence meaning." The dragon states in a completely non-malicious way. "Shall we face the future together?"

Louise's face heats up so much that she can't look Aoi in the eye anymore. "Y-you should be careful about what you say to me! I am engaged to Viscount Wardes already..." The fact that the dragon managed to hand her future back to her on a golden platter certainly didn't help her reaction any.

"I'll keep that in mind. I take it you want to go write a letter? Or just talk to Cattleya directly?" Offers the dragon.

"Yes, please." The pinkette nods and smiles.

-

Sometime later, as Louise opted to visit her older sister directly.

"You laid it on too thick for the poor girl." Blake states.

"You think so?" Asks the dragon, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"She went from being nearly cast away entirely, to having hope dropped into her lap, to having that hope ripped away, to having it come back to her with a vengeance. It's likely been a roller-coaster ride for her, and one she's not prepared for." Blake takes a sip of coffee afterward. "Then you dropped _that_ on her."

"So telling her the straight-up truth was a bad idea then." Aoi seems to understand at least somewhat.

"Telling her that _right then_ was a bad idea." Blake corrects his partner. "She's going to treat it as being more than it is."

"But aren't partners supposed to be close?" Asks the dragon.

Blake simply facepalms. "You say what they want to hear, and _mean it_. You do it without a second thought when you don't have an agenda. It's part of why Charlotte is attracted to you."

"Because of that whole 'giving her her life back' thing? It was just the right thing do to." Aoi scratches his head in thought.

"It was, I'm not debating that point. I'm just saying that when you do something of that magnitude for someone in that dire of need, there's going to be consequences." Blake gestures with his mug.

"Oh." The dragon replies simply. "So you're saying I should have probably been a bit more careful about Henrietta too."

"If it were possible for me to suffer a headahce, I'd probably have a migrane right now." Blake bangs his head on the table and leaves it there.

"Come on, being nice doesn't make a magic construct a woman magnet!" Aoi's expression teeters somewhere between exasperation and mild panic.

Blake props his head up on one hand. "Rescuing Charlotte and her mother from certain doom, defeating one of those "terrifying" elves to do so. Aiding in restoring the latter's mind, and giving them both sanctuary. Whisking Henrietta away from her life for a while and giving her a taste of life out of her cage. Giving Louise her future back, and dropping everything to become the symbol of it. Purposely diving head-first into the heart of a land's growing catastrophes for no other reason than you feel it is right to do so. That's your definition of being nice."

"...You're just as responsible for the first as I am, partially for the third, and you've done way more work than I have for the last." Aoi shrugs.

"My point is you need to learn how to tone it down some. Before it turns into a problem." Blake replies. "You know Charlotte's going to do nothing but get jealous over this."

Aoi raises an eyebrow. "This coming from someone who's pretty much won over Tiffi and Matilda for... oh, what was it? Almost dying to help save their lives and giving them back their future? _And_ I can tell Eleanor's developing something of a thing for you. If you're trying to tell me to tone it down, maybe you should look in a mirror first."

Blake makes a strangled sound as he tries to refute that, but fails utterly. "Gods damn it."

"Anyway, I wouldn't go getting your boxers in a twist over it. Romance is pretty far down both our lists and crushes don't always transition into actual love. Take the cards as they're dealt and play them as desired." The dragon states.

"Yet somehow I get the feeling that that's going to get us in trouble somehow." Blake sits back upright and finishes off his coffee.

=-=


	29. Roadtrip

=-=

As much as Henrietta didn't necessarily _want_ to throw her best friend into the fray, she feels like she needs to actually justify her complete trust in Louise instead of just telling the entirety of Tristian's upper nobility to just suck it. It would do nothing but make them angry, and as much as she'd prefer to not have to care what they think she has to keep her own reputation in mind. At the very least her getting kidnapped had the effect she predicted it would, as while some of the more dubious members of the court tried to make moves there wasn't much that they could do that she couldn't easily root out and undo.

She shakes her head as she looks over a document with the thoroughness of a fine-toothed comb. It's a common tactic to shove all sorts of rules and regulations into incredibly dense, fine print at the end of proposals where most people would skip over because they're already tired of the jargon and legalese, and one that gets tried on her often. It's part of what makes her day take so long, but she refuses to just let things slip by like that.

Granted, Cardinal Mazarin _technically_ has the final say in everything, but he doesn't interfere often, nor does he favor the court nobles. For the most part if the princess puts in the time to read and fully understand the proposals and ask him for advice every now and again, he allows her to function on her own while offering his support to keep the more obnoxious families in line.

She folds up the current document and sets it to the side in her 'reject' pile, since there's a part in the fine print about giving tax collectors more leeway in what they can do. Tax collection is a noble-only profession in Tristian as it is, and it's no secret to her that there's at least one who's happily abusing their power to do whatever they want. The problem is that she's often too bogged down in her duties to check things out personally. Not that she should even do so to begin with. That's what she has help for, to delegate tasks that most people would consider beneath her off to.

Henrietta scoots her chair back, looks around to make sure no one's looking in, and slumps back a bit and closes her eyes. She needs to call Louise in fairly soon, and the best way to do that would be to just go to her directly. So far as she knows, her friend should still be at the Tristian Magic Academy...

She grunts as she feels something or someone land on her, which causes her to panic slightly as she opens her eyes... and catches sight of a head of very familiar strawberry blond hair no more than a few inches away from her face. "Louise!" She exclaims as she wraps her arms around her friend. "Ah, if you arrived in such a spontaneous manner..."

"Hello there, Princess." Aoi makes himself known. "I made sure the coast is clear before dropping anyone down, though I think I goofed up slightly by targeting you directly initially."

Louise manages to glare daggers at the dragon, indicating that she may suspect that he did so on purpose.

"It's no trouble, Mr. Aoi. Having my best friend land on me like this is far from the worst thing that could possibly have happened." Henrietta seems rather amused by comparison. "That being said, I assume that the reason you've appeared like this is because you are ready to hear me out?"

"That's the idea. I take it this is about those letters?" Asks the dragon as he's taken a guess at what the princess' request might be.

"It is. I am glad you remembered, it will save time. Though it is in poor taste for me to ask my best friend to clean up my mess, I would like to request that you locate Prince Wales and retrieve the letters in his possession." The princess does seem disgusted with herself for asking, and then looks to Louise. "My idea is that I can call on you to perform discrete, delicate tasks for me in order to justify my trust in you in the eyes of the court nobles I have to deal with so often."

"Once you've completed a couple of tasks, I can make the request that you come up with some sort of blessing for the marriage between the King of Germania and I. When that time comes, I can hand you the Founder's Prayer Book, and should it be the genuine article it will be yours to use to further your growth as a Void mage."

"No way to justify just handing it over, huh?" Asks Aoi, sympathizing with the princess.

Henrietta shakes her head. "My family and the Vallieres have enjoyed a close relationship for a very long time, to the point that those who oppose my rule outright accuse us of 'sharing a bed,' as the saying goes." She then smirks as something occurs to her. "And no, I do not mean that _literally_. I have been accused of that as well."

"For the record, I wasn't actually going to comment on that." Aoi puts his hands up palm-first defensively.

"You seem like the mischievous sort who would imagine it." Henrietta counters.

"Anyway..." Aoi waves off the entire conversation in exchange for a new topic. "It's not like Louise is going to go into this mission without protection. Even though it might be better if I weren't there, I'll still be going along. Plus I contracted with her not that long ago and picked up what might be something of a trump card in case we do get in trouble." The dragon shows the princess the back of his left hand as proof.

The princess' eyes widen as she catches sight of the runes etched in. "That... that is wonderful! Louise, you have nothing more to fear in regards to your status as a mage. You... Oh my, it seems I should probably let you breathe."

Louise pulls her head up out of her best friend's abundant hills and takes in a deep breath. Her face is once again red as a cherry, and her hands... "Air! A... My apologies, I didn't mean to...!"

To her credit, Henrietta simply laughs the whole thing off. "It is a good thing Aoi has some level of discretion in his methods. This would be quite awkward if anyone else were to walk in. That aside, I do not mind this either."

The pinkette, utterly overwhelmed with embarrassment and confusion, slumps forward with her head coming to a rest back inside its pillowy prison as she unwittingly emulates the cartoonish image of an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

"And you're calling _me_ mischievous." Aoi shrugs as he closes his eyes and shakes his head in amusement.

"She is simply too adorable when pushed properly not to." Henrietta strokes her friend's hair affectionately before turning somewhat more serious. "That aside, I fully intend to send Viscount Wardes along with Louise officially. As he is her fiance, I have no doubt he will protect her with his life should it come to that."

"That's good. The guy's been working with Blake and I by scouting out windstone deposit locations, so I know he's trustworthy." Aoi taps his chin in thought. "This oughta be a quick and easy in and out type of deal unless something's gone horribly wrong."

The princess smiles herself after Aoi says that. "Bear in mind, Mr. Aoi, that neither Louise nor Viscount Wardes have any official business getting from point A to point B as quickly as you do. In fact, I believe that you and Blake are the only two with that level of ability, and it would not take much for the court to put two and two together."

"So they have to take the slow road for appearance's sake." The dragon gives what he believes to be the reasoning for such a statement. "That's annoying."

"That is more or less what my entire life is like." The princess rolls her eyes and leans back some. "That being said, I believe you should leave shortly. You being here would cause an uproar, and Louise being here would at least arouse suspicion."

"Gotcha. Come on, boss, let's go." Aoi grabs the out of sorts pinkette up by the waist and drops through a portal.

With that out of the way, Henrietta scoots her chair back toward her desk to deal with what feels like the millionth document today.

=-=


	30. Admission

=-=

While it should have been obvious, there was another reason Henrietta chose to send the Viscount along with Louise. While Aoi is by far the more powerful of the two, the simple fact of the matter is that the dragon would cause mass panic if he were to appear at all. Not to mention drawing undue attention to two people that he is on good terms with, and potentially the entirety of Louise's family on top of that. To that end, Aoi is relegated to a 'only appear if there is absolutely no other option' role until the Viscount and the pinkette make it to Albion proper.

Once there, the dragon's reputation should be a non-issue given the unstable political climate. Everything may be in such utter shambles that the appearance of a draconic terror shouldn't be able to do much more to it.

As a result, Louise finds herself riding alongside her fiance, and is at something of a loss as to what to say or do.

"It has been quite some time since we have last spoken, Louise." The Viscount himself starts off, though one can get the impression that he's just as hard pressed as his fiancee to make small talk.

"It has, Viscount. A number of years, I believe." The pinkette's reply seems almost overly formal for two people who are supposed to be lovers.

Wardes sighs at that. "Indeed, though I confess that I have lost track of the time somewhat. Aiding the Great Spirit of Wind has been my role during that time."

"Aoi mentioned you helping out by scouting out Wind Stone deposit locations." Louise is already fully aware of just how perilous a position Wardes actually holds at this point, but it never ceases to amaze her just how dangerous that position actually is.

"Indeed. To the extent that I have all but abandoned the Crown to do so. I admit this neither shame nor regret." The Viscount speaks with a heavy heart, however.

Louise looks to her fiance. "Why did you do that, Viscount? I understand that the Wind Stone crisis must be dealt with, but you... you're risking high treason."

"It is because as far as I am concerned, I am already a criminal." Wardes starts in a remarkably non-explanatory manner. "You see, my mother discovered the Wind Stone crisis and what it truly entailed. She went to ask the spirits about it, and learned that she would see the end of the world in her lifetime. Or at the very least, the end of humanity. It drove her mad, irreparably so."

"As a result, I took it upon myself to see to her health and safety so that she did not bring harm to herself or others. This was a time-consuming task to be sure, as despite her madness she was an accomplished mage, and the one to inspire me to learn how to use lightning. I found myself having to grow quickly to quell her in her more destructive moods." The Viscount isn't even properly focusing on the road ahead as he recounts his story. "One time, however, I found that I had grown too strong for her. In my attempts to defend myself, I ended the life of my mother without meaning to."

Louise gasps, but otherwise remains silent in order to let Wardes continue on.

"I spent a great deal of time trying to understand my mother's work after that, and was so desperate for answers that I briefly joined the Reconquista. Their goal is to invade the Holy Land, and I believed my answers would lie there. This was short-lived, as I discovered rumors of something more immediate and useful for my goals. A powerful wind spirit, the likes of which the Brimiric nations have never seen before." The Viscount's tone takes on mild reverence as he continues on.

"I could not be happier. While our initial meetings were... rocky, I none the less attained my answers and all but begged it to aid me in resolving the crisis, to let humanity see another day." Wardes smiles at that, an expression that is all too rare to see these days. "You have seen the results thus far. Tristian is free of this looming nightmare, and soon the other lands will be as well. There has been unrest and strife, but I will take that over catastrophe."

The pinkette looks even more unsure of what to say. This is quite a revelation to drop on her during her reunion with Wardes.

"That being said, I wish to address another issue. That of our marriage." Wardes looks at Louise sadly. "Though I know that I have great control over my own power, and that you are a sane, sensible young woman, the fact remains that I have committed a crime I cannot forgive myself for, and have also betrayed Tristian in order to save it. In truth, I believe myself unworthy of your hand in marriage." The Viscount's expression changes to that of a small smirk. "To say nothing of what the Heavy Wind would do to me should she ever learn the truth of my endeavors."

"...Mother's Rule of Steel." Louise states calmly. "A self-created doctrine that emphasizes loyalty to the Crown, one's family, friends, and so forth and condemns betrayal, while still leaving those that follow it enough room to be able to walk away from disastrous leaders and relationships." The pinkette looks down at the ground after saying that. "Mother would kill you for what you have done."

"Indeed. And unlike the Great Spirit of Wind, I do not possess such titanic durability, and my own skill and power still pales in comparison to that of the Heavy Wind." Wardes admits without shame. "To be honest, I have not felt the ability to love in a very long time either. My initial goal in marrying you was to aid you in awakening to your status as a Void mage, a goal that has been fulfilled without my involvement."

"You... you were planning on using me?" Asks the pinkette in disbelief.

"Yes. Your power would be instrumental in dealing with the Wind Stone crisis in one way or another. Removing you from those who cannot appreciate your power, from those who would do nothing but stomp down upon you and cast you aside, and granting you the means to realize your potential could not have been more important reasons for my initial plan." The Viscount explains, knowingly condemning himself further for the sake of the truth. "Though Sir Blake has rendered that plan irrelevant, and myself by extension."

Louise looks at Wardes crossly, but there is a hint of understanding and relief too. "I was wondering about the status of our marriage. To be honest, I am not ready for marriage myself either. Awakening to my true element opened up an entire world for me to explore, and Aoi... I do not know him that well yet, but he has been nothing but kind and supportive of me since we've met. To be frank, I... I need his support more than yours."

"Do not worry, I understand." The Viscount chuckles in response. "Indeed, he is an understanding and free-spirited individual. I could think of worse people for you to be interested in. As for the marriage, I believe it is safe to say that neither of us desire it at this point."

"How will we break it to mother, though?" Louise asks worriedly.

"Explain the truth of your situation. That you have discovered your element, contracted with a familiar, and have become a true mage. You have spent so long being cast aside that the feeling of finally being able to cast magic has left you with a sense of wonder and a desire to explore your new world." Wardes replies simply and truthfully, essentially giving his fiancee his blessing in calling off the wedding. "I do not think Karin will be entirely happy, but I think she will understand."

"Assuming mother doesn't decide to hold a grudge against you." The pinkette points out.

"Ah, to be honest I intend to be nowhere near that wildfire when it ignites, nor do I intend to ever confront Karin over the issue. Better for her and I to not meet until I have atoned for my actions, and have steeled myself to accept judgment." Wardes seems accepting of his lot in life one way or the other, though. "That being said, I believe that we will be unable to reach Albion today. There is an inn in the town close to the airship port I intend to use to reach the floating continent. We shall stay there overnight, and catch the first ship to Albion in the morning."

Louise raises an eyebrow at that. "Is Albion not a risky area to sail to? How will you convince a captain to make the trip?"

"The services of men can be tempted and bought with the right amount of coin, Louise. Fortunately, I have more than enough to make even our risky endeavor worthwhile." Wardes smiles confidently. "Now then, let us be on our way. I am sure your partner is anxious about being unable to be with you."

With the conversation more or less over, the two mages continue on their way and are left well enough alone the entire way.

=-=


	31. Personal Morality

=-=

Wardes and Louise's arrival at the inn is uneventful to say the least, with the two getting two separate rooms right across from one another in order to assure one another privacy, with the added benefit of either one of them only having to break down obstacles in a straight line to reach the other. Eventually the pinkette feels the need to summon her partner, if only for the reassurance that he's still there if nothing else.

"Got lonely?" Asks the dragon as he sits on his partner's bed.

"A little, yes. Wardes is... he's a strong man, to be sure, but I'm not sure what to feel about him anymore." Louise sits next to her partner as she has the chance to let the Viscount's words sink in. "He's willing to go to admirable, if not insane lengths to do what he thinks is right." She looks at Aoi directly as something clicks. "Kind of like you, really."

The dragon simply shrugs in response. "Eh, I guess I can understand why you think that, but Blake and I _are_ diverging from what Wardes would've done. Eleanor and Blake talked Vittorio into helping them out some, so we don't have to fight Romalia. Yet."

"Yet?" Louise frowns in response to her partner's words.

Aoi shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah, 'yet'. Blake and I don't really trust Vittorio or the Romalian Church as a whole, so we're kind of in a provisional 'can we trust you' phase where we're feeling them out. Which is just fair's fair, because they're doing the same with us. Things could still get ugly later on."

The pinkette sighs in response. "Alright, fair enough on both counts. I guess I'm more than a little shaken by what Wardes was saying."

Aoi hugs his partner to him with one arm. "He's got his fair share of problems, same as the rest of us. I guess he called off the wedding too?"

Louise nods. "Neither of us want it at this point."

"Understandable. It'd be hard to deal with a guy who won't forgive himself and move on."

The pinkette stays silent for a little while before speaking again. "...Thank you, for everything."

"Hm? What brought that on?" Asks the dragon quizzically.

"You believed in me right from the start, listened to my troubles, and actually made an effort to understand me regardless of how I treated you." The pinkette sounds slightly uncomfortable.

"It's not like you were treating me badly or anything. Yeah, you ripped me away from what I was doing at the time and you were a lot more stiff than you are now, but not horrible." Aoi reassures the pinkette.

Louise seems to relax somewhat and leans against her partner.

Then the two hear a rapping on the door. "Louise, may I come in?" Asks the Viscount.

The pinkette looks to her partner, who merely shrugs in response. "You may." Replies Louise.

The Viscount opens the door and closes it behind him once on the other side, and takes up a chair on the side. "I had a feeling you would arrive soon, Great Spirit of Wind."

"You don't have to keep calling me that, you know. Just Aoi would do." Aoi waves his hand somewhat dismissively at the concept. "Anyway, yeah. I take it you wanted to talk about the task at hand?"

"Indeed." Wardes nods. "Barring any complications, completing our task will be a simple in and out affair, as you may have already suspected. However, this will be a good time for you to 'raise some hell,' as the saying goes."

Louise raises an eyebrow at that expression. "I didn't think you were the type to use that kind of language."

"I blame Matilda for that. She is far less interested in proper speech and decorum than most, despite being a noble." Wardes rolls his eyes as he gives his explanation. "Additionally, such crude language has a tendency to be more succinct."

"A noble who shouldn't even be alive, you mean. She doesn't care because for all intents and purposes she _isn't_ one." Aoi points out. "Anyway, Louise, once we're at wherever Wales has holed himself up at I plan on scooting off to see if I can't cut the head off whoever's in charge of the Reconquista. Or mark the location so Blake can bomb it out of existence."

"That's... I thought you were against killing?" Asks Louise in a confused tone. To her, this is a drastic shift from how the dragon usually deals with people.

"I _am_. That's the sad part. Problem is that the Reconquista has slaughtered a lot of people wholesale and have long since reached the point of needing to be put down." Aoi leans back and over, taking the pinkette down with him. "It's the superhero problem."

"...The what problem?" Asks Louise once she gets over being pulled down.

Aoi points upward. "Okay, so assume you're dealing with a crime-ridden area and you've got so much power that you can stop any criminal at any time. They kill, steal, rape, pillage, ect. and they will never stop no matter how many times you make them stop. What would you do?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? I'd wipe them out myself!" Louise sounds shocked at the naivety of the question.

Aoi smiles and turns his head to look at his partner. "My master has a ruthless streak too! That'll actually be good. Anyway, thing is that some people believe that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The more you have, the more prone you are to abusing it for your own goals. Some superheroes don't kill on principle because they're afraid they'll become exactly like the very people they hunt."

"Such things have happened in the past, Sir Aoi, and continue to happen even now." Wardes interjects, adding on to the construct's point.

"Exactly. When you're that strong, things can devolve into what I'll call the 'Rule of Might', where the strongest make the rules that all others have to follow." Aoi continues on while acknowledging Wardes' point. "And it doesn't matter where you start off at, _anyone_ can devolve that far."

Louise doesn't respond at first, choosing instead to think on it. "What about you, Aoi?"

"My answer's similar to yours. I'll do what I have to, when I have to. I may make mistakes, I may stumble off my path, but I learn from those mistakes and have people around me who'll help me back onto it." The dragon crosses his arms. "Most superheroes in stories go it it alone, and never really think to rely on others for support when the time comes and they have to choose between ending one life to save many more, or never killing anyone and ending up with blood on their hands indirectly."

"At the same time, my reluctance to kill isn't born out of some moral superiority, it's based on the fact that I think most everyone has the right to live. Who am I to take that away from them without reason?"

"That sounds difficult." Comments the pinkette.

"It _should_ be one of the hardest decisions one will ever make." The dragon responds. "Anyway, that doesn't mean I can't try to be as precise as possible when I do have to make that decision. Snip out a few key figures and the whole rebellion should collapse like a puppet with its strings cut."

"Which brings me to why I came in here. I know who you should target, Sir Aoi. A man who refers to himself as Lord Cromwell. I met him once myself before finding out about you and subsequently choosing to side with you." Wardes explains once he's sure the dragon is done talking. "He's using some kind of artifact ring capable of raising the dead to fake having the blessing of the Void."

"Oh-ho? Well now, guess I've got another reason to take this guy down." Aoi sits back upright as his interest in the subject piques. "Where do you think he is?"

"He most likely has multiple holdings." Wardes hands Aoi a rolled up map. "I've managed to narrow the list down to three or four locations."

"And how skilled is he in combat?" The dragon asks.

"I suspect that he will pose absolutely zero issue for you. The man is clearly bluffing on multiple levels, and you will no doubt be able to dispatch any raised dead that he may call upon to protect him." The Viscount responds with absolute certainty. "Mind you, given where you'll be starting from, you may need to engage one of the Reconquista's forces before you can go after Cromwell himself."

"Buys time for the Prince and stalls any Reconquista plans to invade anywhere else. Gotcha." The dragon seems rather happy at the concept of getting to fight some. "Plus, I can get some artifact loot!"

"You're planning on pillaging his remains?" Louise seems to look down on the concept herself.

"Well, yeah. A ring that can raise the dead? Anyone and their mother would abuse that in some form or another. Better if I can track that down and keep it away from them." Aoi points out.

The pinkette sighs as she sits back up. "Fiiiine. That being said, you be careful. I won't forgive you if you get hurt!"

Aoi slides off the bed and stands in front of Louise before pecking her on the forehead. "I will be, don't worry. It takes way more to put me down than any human." He then looks to Wardes. "Thanks for this too. It saves me a lot of trouble."

"It is no issue, Sir Aoi. I'll contact you again when we're ready." Replies the Viscount with a smile.

With that, the dragon generates a portal and leaves, leaving the two mages alone for the time being.

=-=


	32. Life or Death, Which Will You Choose?

=-=

Louise and Viscount Wardes managed to reach Albion in relatively short order, their hired airship being hijacked by what appeared to be pirates only for it to turn out that Prince Wales was keeping the airspace around a refugee escape route clear. With those awkward introductions aside, the prince took both in to spend the day as an apology. Conveniently, said apology comes coupled with quite the party since the three-hundred or so Nobles and soldiers holed up in the castle have the distinct feeling that they're going to get crushed later that day. What better way to celebrate one's upcoming death than with revelry?

What the Albionians didn't expect, however, was for Aoi to casually join them. For both the Prince and King, Matilda was a surprise of sorts.

"...I could have sworn that this shouldn't be an issue." Wardes states while taking a sip of wine. While the defenders around them are somewhat nervous, the mood hasn't dampened much.

"Well, bear in mind that Blake kinda introduced himself by blowing up the soldiers slaughtering the Sachen-Gotha family." Aoi points out while tasting the wine himself. "Bleh, tastes like raisins and gasoline."

"I believe that you were not associated with that." The Viscount states calmly.

"I maaaaaay have given them a headache when looking for other survivors." Aoi swishes the wine around in his glass before downing the rest of it. "Like, 'nearly level the recently repaired Sachen-Gotha estate' levels of headache."

Wardes groans and rubs his forehead as he mimics the dragon and downs the rest of his wine glass. "It is fortunate that I have liquor on hand. You are still every bit the headache I was afraid you'd be. It's almost fortunate for you that these people are going to die soon."

"Ouch. I swear, we're gonna kill the atmosphere at this rate." The dragon scratches his head nervously.

"We are not here to help or hinder these people, we are merely here to ensure that Louise is able to perform her task and get her out of here as soon as possible." Wardes states flatly. He refrains from drinking any more wine than he already has, and instead drinks from a flask. "I am grateful for your partner providing filtered water, however."

"No problem. Honestly, I'm surprised that you guys haven't invented a water purification system yet. Access to magic has left you guys better off than Earth when it was where you guys are." The dragon keeps an eye on Louise and Matilda both, since while Wales is busy dealing with the pinkette it's clear that he wants nothing more than to speak to the former noble.

"We don't have wide-spread water purification systems, and those we have rely on magic. Yours do not, and care should be taken in introducing such things to the Brimiric nations." Wardes gives the dragon a warning as he affixes his flask to his belt.

"Yeah, yeah, heresy and inquisition and all that jazz. Still, once Eleanor gets an idea of just what kind of gold mine she's sitting on she's probably going to do something stupid." Aoi sets the wine glass in his hand down and proceeds to portal in a bottle of fruit juice to drink instead.

"I do not know Professor Valliere well enough to gauge her reactions, however I do know that the Tristian Research Academy will no doubt welcome him with open arms once he is able to be there without sparking an international incident." Wardes' tone actually seems to be somewhat amused at how utterly asinine the conversation is. "That being said, do you have an idea of when you should leave?"

"Yup. Blake's monitoring the immediate area so he'll let me know when I need to get going. You three, on the other hand, need to leave _before_ that." The dragon looks aside at the Viscount. "If things go completely pear-shaped, gate out and wait."

"Understood. In fact, I may opt to just do that and avoid the possibility of trouble when flying back down to Tristian." The Viscount leans against a wall while smirking. "Truly, I have become somewhat lazy if I'm relying on you for this."

"Oh come on, nothing wrong with being..." Aoi starts, then trails off. "And there's the signal. Recoquista army inbound. Time for me to head out." The dragon walks off after that, leaving Wardes by himself.

The Viscount moves to meet up with the pinkette, who seems somewhat confused over this development.

-

Wales seems rather nervous as he looks at Matilda. Considering that the two were originally meant to be married, it's made their reunion somewhat awkward. "Well..."

Matilda holds up a hand. "Save it. I know how you feel about me, I'm glad to know that at least you tried looking, and I'm glad you moved on instead of wasting your life pining after a girl who should be dead."

"My apologies, Matilda. I must curse my luck for only having met you near the end of my life." Wales' tone is actually quite annoyed now.

"And why's that?" Asks the earth mage.

"Why must I curse my luck...? No, you're asking why I must die." The prince furrows his brow in thought. "Is it not obvious? The Reconquista seeks to crush the Albion government, and those of us left here are the only ones left. Should we leave, they would pursue us immediately, and Tristian is our only ally. They cannot stop the Reconquista as-is, and I will not put my dear Henrietta at risk to seek her asylum."

"And then the Reconquista just licks its wounds for a little while, and moves on to invading Tristian anyway." Matilda points out, crushing the prince's point entirely. "Your death here doesn't change a thing. If you survive there's a _chance_ Albion could recover faster when the Reconquista is crushed, and while you are part of the 'old guard,' last I checked you're more open-minded than your..." The earth mage catches herself before she starts saying what she really thinks about King Wales. "Your father."

Wales looks at the ground while looking forlorn. "I don't see how I and those under me can just walk out of this."

Matilda smiles slyly. "Just walk out of it." She holds up a small jewel attached to a pendant.

"What is that?" Asks the prince in a confused manner.

"It's a key to a gate spell that can literally let everyone here walk out of this intact." The earth mage explains. "And before you ask how I got it... do you know who that silver-haired guy is who just walked out? That's the 'Vengeance of Sachen-Gotha.'"

Wales stares at his ex wide-eyed. "You... you're _friends_ with that monster?!"

Matilda just laughs lightly. "Hard to believe, right? Turns out he's partners with a certain elusive mage."

The prince simply gapes. "Did you talk them into aiding us?"

"Taking out the Reconquista's going to benefit them in the long term, so I figured I can turn this into a 'you scratch my back I'll scratch yours' type of deal. Albion's going to be unstable for a while, but I figure I can trust you as its king if we can get Romalia to sanction it. You survive and keep your rightful role, and I figure you can help us out form time to time."

The prince shakes his head and sighs. "I cannot _believe_ you are pulling a stunt like this. There is no guarantee that it will even work."

Matilda sighs. "I know, but honestly? It's worth a shot. Blake's having to play the long game here, or a relatively long game, and the more possible allies he's got the better."

"Matilda! We're out of time! Sir Aoi has already departed to engage the enemy!" Wardes shouts to get the earth mage's attention.

"Dammit... Got it! Go ahead and leave first!" Matilda shouts back before turning to Wales. "So, what'll it be, prince? Live and trust my friends to deal with the Reconquista and maybe get your life back, or die and accomplish nothing?"

Wales pales as he considers his options.

=-=


	33. Terrifying Left Hand

=-=

"Sir, one confirmed target has left the enemy holding." It hadn't taken long before an advance soldier caught sight of the dragon and headed back to report to his superior.

"Just the one, eh? He must be in a hurry to die then." The commander smirks as he hears the news. When all the troops are tallied together as a single force, they number in the thousands while the loyalists only number in the low hundreds. Victory is all but assured with a discrepancy like that. "Still, exercise caution and don't rush ahead. For all we know the loyalists still have an ace up their sleeve."

"Yes sir. I'll relay your orders as soon as possible." With that, the soldier rides back off to the scouting parties to let them know what to do.

With that, the Reconquista army continues to march forward with confidence for a time...

-

The scouting parties were having no such luck, however.

"Where is that thing?!" One soldier shouts out in a panic.

"Behind-!" Was all another could get out before the top half of his body vanishes in a flash of light.

"Shit! That was our water mage!" An archer lines up a shot and lets an arrow fly, only for a gale to knock it aside.

"Someone make a break for it and warn the main forces!" One of the mounted soldiers calls out.

A wind mage tries to comply, but is plowed into the ground faster than any of them can blink the second he kicks off the ground. Dust and clumps of earth go flying, accompanied by the sickening crack of breaking bones.

"Damn monster! What kind of dark sorcery did the royalists call on to call you?!" The swordsmen are easily the most useless in this engagement, and as a result are the most panicky. With a good number of the mounts spooked and chased away, there is no chance of escape.

A pair of gold eyes are the last thing that soldier sees as he's lifted from the ground by his head. "They didn't do anything. I just have business of my own to attend to, and you're in my way."

" **For the Reconquista**!" A swordsman swings his blade at the dragon with all his might, only for the attack to be deflected with a flash of silver.

Aoi lets his gaze slide over to his attacker and looks him over with amusement. "Alright, that was pretty good. Might have overwhelmed a human opponent. Seven out of ten." He then flips the soldier in his hand hard enough to break his neck and toss him aside. "Gotta admit though, this is pretty boring. There's no satisfaction in ending you lot."

"Then why are you?!" The same swordsman from before tries again, only for his attack to be knocked aside.

"Are you guys going to stop trying to murder a few hundred people with families to go back to and lives to live if I ask?" Asks the dragon simply as he casually puts a hole through another fleeing soldier with a ray of light.

"Of course not! The Albion loyalists are all fat and decadent bastards who don't care about their own people!" The swordsman shouts desperately as he pushes himself to the brink to deliver an even more ferocious blown than the last.

The dragon flicks the blade in his hand and smashes his opponent's blade out of his. "That's why I'm doing this. I'll be blunt. There are people I care about that you're just going to steamroll over and murder for reasons that sound pretty petty to me. Just like how my murdering your comrades in arms must seem petty to you."

"D-damn loyalist scum...!" Fear and panic creep into the swordsman's voice as he nurses his hand.

"...For crying out loud. You're not even listening, are you?" Aoi rolls his eyes in an irritated manner before letting the runes on his left hand glow once more. He all but vanishes from view, then reappears behind the soldier who confronted him. He flicks the blood off the blade and watches as his bisected opponent falls apart straight down the middle. He then flips the blade so he's holding the hilt in the palm of his hand, then hurls it at the last fleeing enemy.

Despite the distance, the blade punches clean through and drops the soldier instantly.

"Fifteen down, a few thousand more to go." The dragon strolls off toward the next advance party, hoping that the disrespectful, grisly scene will anger the Reconquista enough to make them focus on him. "...I hate doing this."

-

The next advance party went down faster than the first, with each soldier and mage barely having time to recognize that they were even being attacked at all before being wiped out down to the man. Each 'battle' is swift, brutal, and the corpses are left strewn about for the buzzards to pick away at. Granted, the dragon at least makes a point of killing them all as quickly and efficiently as possible so as to not make them suffer.

The next group was annihilated in mere moments.

Gradually, the dragon starts moving and skipping about so fast that everything becomes little more than a blur to him as he cleans up the last of the advance parties and moves on to the main forces.

-

To say that the earlier commander is surprised to see the lone enemy before him is something of an understatement. To see him strutting forward in such a bored manner, twirling a longsword around his hand like a baton just to give himself something to do is nothing sort of unsettling. It's to the point that he's unsure of what to feel about this. Anger for the casual disregard of the situation the silver-haired man finds himself in? Disgust at the casual ease at which he mishandles a weapon of war? Caution at how he must have made it through at least one advance party undetected?

He can't quite get close enough to hear the dragon, but the stench of cherry blossoms and blood starts to waft across the open field.

Then the commander falls off his horse in shock when he sees the silver-haired man appear right next to him. "Yeesh, you're jumpy today."

"Wh-who are you?" Demands the commander as he gets back up. The soldiers around him react and enter a defensive stance while the dragon simply plants his longsword into the ground.

"Aoi. The Vengeance of Sachen-Gotha. The Sky-Splitter. The Silver Tyrant. Silver Radiance Dragon." Aoi answers flatly while tallying off some of his accumulated titles. "Look, I just want to ask something."

"...What is it?" Some of those titles sound markedly familiar to the commander, but for this man to claim to be one and the same? It's absurd to him.

"Is the Reconquista going to stop once it takes out the loyalists?" The dragon leans against the commander's horse casually. "Or are you going to keep going?"

"Our intention is to unite all of the Brimiric nations under our banner, by force if needed." The commander states while scowling. "They have grown complacent against the elven threat, and squabble among themselves over petty affairs."

"Killing who knows how many people out of convenience?" The dragon pushes off the horse and stands on his own, then leans on the longsword in the ground.

"Don't tell me you're one of those bleeding hearts who hates war." The commander all but spits in disgust. "Sometimes bloodshed is necessary to accomplish a greater goal."

"I do hate war, yeah, but I hate it because everyone's got their own story to tell. Even people like you." Aoi stands upright and dusts himself off. "And no one has the right to just shed another's blood without reason."

The commander narrows his eyes. "Yet here you are, about to do the same." While it's still a guess, the man knows when a fight is about to start.

The dragon locks eyes with the commander. "I'm only doing it because you guys won't _stop_. And yeah, I get that I'm being something of a hypocrite here, but as the old saying goes... 'If someone tries to kill you, you try and kill them right back.'"

"Someone send word to the other battalions! Forget the loyalists for now, focus on this monster!" The commander shouts, and his soldiers and mages begin to move.

"Shoulda just sent the order to go home." Says the dragon as he pulls the longsword back out of the ground. Sword in hand, his left hand glows with an eerie green flame, and he snaps his fingers with his free hand. Wicked black winds erupt to life all around him, tossing soldiers and mages aside as he settles into a stance the runes recommended. "Because this isn't a battle anymore. It's just violence."

Then the dragon starts to skip and jump again, bathing the fields in the blood of his enemies with every movement. Yet not once does he feel satisfaction in his work, only a growing anger at the necessity of his actions.

-

Blake watches the one-sided fight unfold before him from his home base since there's no need for him to get involved directly. "This is disgusting to watch."

"Holy... I've seen him fight, but this is ridiculous. I feel bad for those guys." Matilda adds in while cringing.

Louise can't even look at the carnage.

"Do not. They chose to wage war for their own reasons. They should have expected that it would end in bloodshed." Wardes states coldly as he observes the dragon's work. "Though even I would not have expected this."

"Aoi, approximately 87% of the enemy forces remain. Once it gets under half, start moving toward one of the four predicted locations. I don't think they'll investigate the castle after taking that much of a beating." Blake speaks into a microphone near him.

["Got it."] Comes the dragon's slightly distorted reply. ["This'll take ten, maybe fifteen minutes tops."]

"Just to let you know, the castle's been evacuated, Aoi. We've relocated Prince Wales and his group successfully. Just focus on crippling the enemy as badly as possible." Matilda chimes in.

["May as well just put them down if I'm going to do that."]

"I understand that you're in a foul mood, Aoi, but there's a method to this." Blake reminds his partner as he watches the estimated enemy tally sink like a rock.

["I know, I know... Doesn't mean I have to enjoy this."]

"I'd be more worried if you did." Replies Blake. "It looks like you've adapted to the Gandalfr runes well enough, however."

["I was worried I was going to stumble around more than this. Turns out they're pretty user-friendly."] At this point the dragon seems to be talking partially to calm his nerves.

"Aoi, I... I'll be here for you after this if you need it." Louise eventually pipes up, her having found her voice.

["...Thanks. I'll probably take you up on that for some R&R after this."]

Louise looks at Blake as she doesn't understand what Aoi meant.

"Rest and relaxation. He doesn't need the former, but he'll want the latter." Explains the steampunk mage.

The gathered group continues to offer support as the one-dragon army continues to tear through the Reconquista like so much soggy rice paper.

=-=


	34. A Sudden Stop and a Fateful Encounter

=-=

Cromwell sits on his fancy chair, fully confident in his men's victory. Thousands of soldiers versus a couple hundred is an easy victory that even the most basic and amateur leader could pull off.

...Which is good, because despite being the Reconquista's leader for a good couple months now he isn't some brilliant commander. In fact, his own stake in this is somewhat half-hearted since when he was first given the chance to lead a rebellion against the increasingly unpopular ruling class he was really just complaining while drunk like any aggravated noble would after a particularly bad day. To be approached by a mysterious woman with a promise of power if he would but grasp it was an unthinkable concept, but one he couldn't refuse.

After that it was left largely up to him to whip up the populace into a frenzy, which was laughably easy. Between the elf scandal and the Albionian's overall desire to launch a crusade against the elves in general... Yes, that elf hate was so easy to manipulate even a child could do it. A little misinformation about an elf being so bold as to seduce an Archduke to undermine the nobility, and the nobility being too apathetic to properly deal with it beyond tearing out and burning the 'corrupted' parties was enough to make the disgruntled populace want to back him.

The artifact ring he received from his benefactor was the last push needed to get the populace to follow him clear into treason against the crown. It didn't take much for him to guess that the water magic-fueled ring has no connection to the Void, but no one really cared. As far as your average Albionian is concerned, someone who can bring back the dead and create invincible fighters must have the blessing of the Void. Even those who do care about that may care enough about the coming crusade that they can let it slide.

Even better, Tristian and Germania both have been hounded by a mysterious enemy for months on end, crippling the already weak and disorganized nations and leaving them easy pickings for a unified force with superior airships. Convenient, then, that Albion's air fleet is almost the best, if not _the_ absolute best.

"L-Lord Cromwell!" The Reconquista leader is snapped out of his musings by the panicked call of one of his messengers.

"What is it?" Asks Cromwell. He has a slight sinking feeling in his gut since this is most certainly _not_ how any report of King Wales' death should go.

"Our army is getting annihilated!" The messenger manages to get his composure back to deliver the most important part of the message.

Cromwell's eye twiches, as this truly is not how this report should go. "How? It's thousands of soldiers against a few hundred loyalists. This should be easy."

The messenger suddenly looks far more nervous. "It's... it's actually just one enemy, sir."

The rebel leader gives his messenger a disbelieving look. "I find that ridiculously hard to swallow. No one enemy is great enough to defeat our entire army!"

"There is _one_." Sheffield makes herself known, coming out of the shadows dramatically. "Messenger, is this one enemy a silver-haired man clad in armor that seems to be made from the scales of a dragon?"

"Y-yes, madam." The messenger replies.

"Well now, I didn't expect _him_ to show up." Sheffield taps her lips in thought. "I take it he's moving faster than can be tracked, and is uncharacteristically using a blade of some sort?"

The messenger nods.

"Hmph. So the Gandalfr's finally shown up. It would have been better if it weren't him." The Mind of God muses as she mentally sorts through her artifacts. She always has at least one for the job, though infuriatingly her enemy uses non-standard elements that can't be replicated so readily. Toss in the Gandalfr's massive ability and power boosts and suddenly the dragon is looking even more ridiculous than he already does.

"What can be done about him?" Asks Cromwell.

"At the moment, he's caught us off-guard. The best thing we can do is move you so that when he starts hunting for you, it'll take him long enough that I can come up with a strategy." Sheffield is the very definition of calm and collected despite the way the situation is souring.

Then a full half of Cromwell is utterly vaporized in a flash of light.

The messenger flees, while Sheffield whips around with wide eyes. Her own shields block the next three beams, then scream as they try to withstand a boosted sword strike. "How?!" Screams the Mind of God over the clashing forces.

"A little birdie told me." Aoi kicks off the magic shield when it becomes clear that he can't just bust through it with one strike, which is well-timed since a gout of flame erupts from Sheffield's hands just as he moves. "I mean, come on. You think you and Joseph are _really_ the only ones who can scout and spy?"

"...Cromwell was dead the second his messenger reached him." Sheffield's eyes narrow and her voice all but reaches a growl as she realizes what happened. Then her eyes widen. "God _damn_ it. Me being here is just a happy accident to you, isn't it?"

Aoi just grins wickedly. "Nooooow you're catching on! How's it feel being on the wrong end of a plan for once?" He all but crows while closing the distance again. He skips about to confuse the Mind of God's aim before smashing his blade into her shield once more, though this time the metal just plain shatters on impact. He kicks away again, but the retaliatory surge of lighting actually lands and flings him away.

"This doesn't qualify as a plan!" Sheffield grits out as she keeps one hand on a whole chain of defensive artifacts and another on a chain of offensive artifacts. If she relies on them too much, they'll burn out for a while, but if she doesn't he'll eventually overwhelm her. "This is a slapdash reactionary piece of bull that only works because you're so goddamn powerful!" Sheffield notes that the dragon's slowed down to a pace that she can actually track and predict now.

To his credit, the dragon seems to have no problems holding his own defensively, as his own black wind is powerful enough to soften the Mind of God boosted artifact spells and let him shrug off what he can't avoid. He manages to grab what's left of Cromwell and drag him off despite Sheffield nearly annihilating what's left.

"...The Ring of Andvari! Oh, no you don't!" Sheffield chases after the dragon with a furious blaze of magical attacks, obliterating every obstacle in her path to try and deny Aoi enough of a reprieve to properly remove the ring. Unless he doesn't care that it's attached to a severed arm...

And the dragon promptly tosses said severed arm through a portal in plain sight of the Mind of God, giving her a shit-eating grin as he goes. Another guard meets his end at the dragon's hands, and the moment his left hand touches his new blade, he speeds out of sight again.

"As much as I hate that bastard's guts, I have to admit that I _really_ need to learn how he does that." Sheffield admits under her breath as she reinforces her shields again. She doesn't even flinch as they all but scream again straining under the combined force of Aoi's own strength and the boost the Gandalfr runes give him. "Just DIE already!" Another deadly surge of razor-sharp wind flies out from behind her shield and actually succeeds at cutting off part of the dragon's arm entirely.

The dragon speeds back, stamps his foot once, and causes his own severed arm to detonate before Sheffield can even think about picking it up. "Welp, as the saying goes, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt." Even though he's taken crippling damage, he's nonchalant about the whole thing and even seems to be showing signs of regenerating his lost limb. Thick strands of red flow out from the severed stump and gradually turn silver, but rather than drip off they seem to be forming the framework of a new arm.

"A game?! ...No, no. I refuse to take that bait." Sheffield feels through her artifacts again while scowling. While she's happy to have done some meaningful damage, the dragon's own regenerative abilities will make it a moot point if she can't capitalize on it soon enough. "You're nothing more than a child who can't comprehend how serious this battle between Void mages is."

"Oh, what, you want me to start calling you 'old hag' now?" Aoi raises an eyebrow and taps the flat side of his sword against his shoulder while anticipating his opponent's next move. As much as he hates to admit it, the two Void familiars appear to still be at an impasse. Sheffield's seemingly bottomless collection of artifacts seems to a tool for every scenario, except when it comes to finishing the dragon off. Conversely, the dragon has no way to really punch through the Mind's defenses to finish her off.

Ordinary metal blades simply aren't going to cut it.

Sheffield sighs. "I walked into that one. Though the fact that you're just playing around doesn't exactly scream maturity to me!" A few more intense blasts of flame are sent the dragon's way, and the Mind chooses to jump to the side rather than risk seeing if the dragon can simply throw it all back at her.

Aoi uses his black wind to collect the fire and intensify it before shooting a jet of it back at his enemy. "Maturity by human standards, anyway." Naturally, even this is unable to do much to his opponent. "Meh, I got what I wanted out of this, and I know you're involved with the Reconquista, which will probably be enough for the Pope."

Sheffield launches a massive bolt of lightning at the dragon, hoping that will catch him out.

"Touchy, touchy." The dragon threw up a light screen just as she did so, however, softening the hit immensely. "Well, truth be told, I just wanted to see if I could put you down. Apparently I can't yet, so toodles!" He then proceeds to portal himself out, leaving a frustrated Sheffield behind.

"...I wonder if I can get at whoever his master is." The Mind dusts herself off and walks out of the ruined room, heedless of the confusion around her.

The Reconquista will be finished off soon one way or the other, and it didn't play out as her master intended. All because of some seemingly untouchable enemy. Still, no one is invincible, and the Mind knows the dragon is adverse to fighting the Void already. Next time, she'll have something lined up for him.

=-=


	35. Downtime

=-=

Aoi flips the precious artifact ring into the air with his thumb out of boredom, catching it each time it falls. "Well, that really kinda sucked."

"You ended the Reconquista movement before it could gain enough momentum to commit any truly heinous acts. Is that not worthy of praise?" Wardes points out as he watches said ring be flipped. Unlike the dragon, he actually has some level of reverence for such rare items.

"All I did was blast apart its leader and rip about half its army to shreds." The dragon shrugs dismissively before realizing what he just said. "...Okay, I know that sounds impressive but that's like complimenting an arsonist for firebombing an orphanage."

"Still necessary. The Reconquista would have gone on to wage war against other nations." Charlotte doesn't take her eyes off her current book, though she's paying close attention to the conversation. "You're beating yourself up needlessly."

"No kidding. I get that you're against killing, but sometimes it needs to be done." Matilda points out.

Aoi sighs as he catches the ring one last time, and pockets it. "I know, I know. That's not the only thing, though. Even with the Gandalfr boost I couldn't actually beat Sheffield in a straight fight."

"Sheffield has powerful magical artifacts. You are innately powerful. You tried to stick ordinary weapons between the two of you." Charlotte rolls her eyes as she deals out her line of logic. "I'm honestly surprised you expected anything else. You could have just formed blades from your own elements and it would have gone better."

The dragon facepalms. "Right, it's not exactly my usual methods, but I guess if I formed up some wind and sharpened it up it'd count as a weapon."

"If nothing else, acquiring physical weapons won't be hard. Making some that would be capable of punching through barriers shouldn't be that difficult either." Blake chimes in from where he's sitting. Like Charlotte, his attention is split between the conversation and something else. Namely checking on the status of the wind stone operations.

"She utilizes magical artifacts, Blake. Anything you make that's magical in nature is probably something she could hijack with enough effort." Aoi gives the concept a dismissive wave.

Blake looks to his partner with a raised eyebrow. "It doesn't need to be magical, it just needs to be able to withstand the sort of punishment you deal out. In fact, if you're going for ramming attacks some kind of spiral blade or a drill might bite into whatever barrier she throws up."

"I hate to interrupt, but what're you going to do with that ring, Aoi?" Matilda speaks up again as she leans back and points at the dragon.

"...I dunno. I just figured it's one less item Sheffield can work with. I didn't really consider doing anything with it outside of storing it somewhere." Aoi scratches his head in thought.

"Actually, I wonder if anyone would know anything about it, outside of the obvious party we can't go to." Blake looks up from his tablet as he considers another possibility.

"You think this thing has an owner?" Aoi frowns as he considers that scenario.

"Possibly. While it's just speculation on my part, I believe that it is a fairly safe bet that if Sheffield did provide Cromwell with the ring, it is quite possible that she didn't create it." The steampunk mage continues on, providing some of his own logic.

"I think I will check the records at Tristian to identify that ring, then." Wardes gets up to leave, and uses a small jewel to open up a portal.

"Oh yeah, if you're going to do that, I think I heard Sheffield call it the 'Ring of Andvari.'" Offers the dragon before the Viscount can step through.

"That... Thank you. I believe that will make things considerably easier. I will report back as soon as I have something." Wardes states before leaving.

"Huh. That doesn't ring any bells to me, but maybe you'd want to take that to Shajal to let her look at it. She's not exactly an appraiser, but she could easily tell you what _kind_ of magic it uses." Matilda looks to Aoi as she speaks.

Aoi taps his chin in thought before nodding. "Yeah, that sounds like as solid a plan as any. See you folks in a bit!" He then falls through a portal of his own, leaving the area.

Charlotte looks to Blake next. "Does he even know what he's doing or getting into?"

"I doubt it. It's one thing to retrieve a ring like that, it's quite another to go that far out of one's way to try and figure out if it has an owner to return to." Blake rolls his eyes in response. "Though I think he's just happy to have something to do that won't involve the wanton slaughter of thousands of people."

"You've clearly jinxed it." Charlotte closes her eyes and set her book to the side, though she seems somewhat amused.

The steampunk mage snorts in amusement. "Clearly."

"Alright, I think I'm going to pay Tiffi and mother a visit too." Matilda opens a portal and steps through, presumably to follow Aoi.

Charlotte closes her book completely and sets it off to the side. "...I know it's off-topic, but it still feels weird having something resembling a family after living so long without one."

"I understand. It's not a bad sort of weird, I'd imagine." Blake replies simply.

"It's not. Just... very slow to adjust to it." Charlotte slips back into a more clipped set of responses. "Having to tone down old habits. I still react semi-violently if my sleep is disturbed, for example."

"Well, that will take time. You did spend a number of years developing a powerful set of survival instincts that have served you well up until now." The steampunk mage notes and gestures with his hand in an offhand manner.

Charlotte nods while fidgeting slightly. "Yeah... At least it didn't take long for me to adjust back to being called by my actual name. I guess I was just that tired of being a doll."

"Anyone would be." Blake acknowledges the Gallian Princess' point.

Charlotte looks at Blake sheepishly and smiles. "Anyway, I talk about this a lot, don't I?"

"You do, but that's just because this sort of thing sticks with you. I imagine that once you've had a chance to develop some happier memories in your current situation, you'll be able to move past your past more completely." Blake responds calmly.

"I hope so." Charlotte opens her book back up and resumes reading, her presence a bit calmer now.

-

"Hey, Tiffi, Shajal." Aoi waves to the half elf and the full elf as he arrives.

"Mr. Aoi!" Tiffania calls out to the dragon before running up to him and hugging him.

"Ah, welcome." Shajal appears to be working on a garden with Tiffania's help. A large number and variety of plants are arranged all over the place, some blooming, some not, and all looking quite healthy. "What brings you here today?"

The dragon is busy hugging Tiffania back, then lets her go before pulling the artifact ring out of his pocket. "Well, I hate to make it mostly business today, but I wound up taking this off the hands of the Reconquista leader. It's a powerful artifact ring that appears to be capable of raising the dead, but it doesn't feel like it has the right energy type to be necromancy-based."

Shajal takes the ring from Aoi for a moment to look it over. "That's because it isn't." She then points to an inlaid gemstone on the ring. "This is a Water Stone, so it's not raising the dead so much as quite possibly literally bringing them back to life. Given how water elemental magic can work, however, it's more likely that it's simply allowing the user to puppeteer dead bodies by controlling the water inside them."

The elf then quietly looks the ring over more before coming to a conclusion. "It's most likely spirit magic-based, too. The creation of Water Stones is a fairly finicky process, and while humans can make them, water spirits create higher-quality stones that are more powerful." She hands the ring back to the dragon, who then pockets it. "I would think you would have little need for something like this."

"Not personally, no. I'm actually looking into seeing if I can't find out who originally owned it." Aoi admits while shrugging. "Admittedly, having a way to heal people would be nice too. I'm not familiar enough with either the elven methods or the human methods here to use water magic like either of you can to do it."

Shajal simply laughs lightly. "Yes, that is just like you, isn't it? You're easily as bad as your brother in that regard."

"If you want a healing ring, I could... ah, that's right, I can't." Tiffania cheerfully starts to offer before remembering her own element. Not that it dampens her mood in the slightest. "I'd definitely need mother's help for something like that."

The dragon hums for a moment before deciding on it. "I'd actually appreciate that, but I'll swing by and help you two out if at all possible."

"Looking to expand your repertoire?" Asks Shajal in an amused manner.

"Maaaaybe, though part of it has to do with me feeling like I should spend more time with you two. Between the whole wind stone crisis and assorted other things it's been cutting into my ability to talk to you." Aoi scratches his head, feeling somewhat guilty.

"You don't need to worry about that, mother and I know you're busy for a good reason." Tiffania is quick to reassure the dragon.

"Indeed, you worry too much about us. It is not as though you spend no time with us at all." Shajal chimes in with her two cents as well. "Besides, you still have plans to show us more of your world. I'm perfectly happy to look forward to that."

"That's... a couple days from now, tops." Aoi seems to shift back toward being comfortable again. "Yeah, you're right. I just get worried sometimes."

"That's fine, it means that you care." Shajal notes as she moves back to her gardening. "That being said, I take it you have other matters to attend to?"

"I do. Gotta check up on Louise too, and Charlotte. Also crisis updates and the like." Aoi looks somewhat sheepish as he starts listing things off.

"Good luck then, Mr. Aoi." Tiffania smiles and waves, while Shajal simply giggles knowingly.

The dragon portals out, and Matilda comes in.

=-=


	36. Matters of Necessity and Convenience

=-=

The Pope isn't entirely sure what to think when Blake breaks the news of the heavy blows dealt to the Reconquista in no more than one fell stroke after he dropped the suggestion of the elusive mage and the sky-splitter dragon dealing with it and saving everyone involved substantial effort. On the one hand, the Reconquista will be fearful of Aoi coming back to demolish them again, so they'll be less likely to start back up somewhere down the line. Toss in the fact that the remaining Albion nobility now knows the price of complacency and corruption, and both groups will most likely be scared straight, thus causing the nation to gradually reform on its own with no outside intervention necessary.

Ultimately, having them do it saved countless lives and resources from every nation except maybe Gallia. By all means this should have been a complete victory as far as Vittorio is concerned.

On the other hand, there are just two problems.

First off, Blake reports that Sheffield appeared to be collaborating with Cromwell, and may very well be the reason the Reconquista gained any traction to begin with. That alone troubles the pope greatly, since it means that Joseph is perfectly willing to engage in covert operations to cause chaos and upset in the other nations. Given how politically weak and/or fractured Tristian and Germania are, it wouldn't take much for the Mad King to start something up in either of those two nations. Perhaps even both simultaneously.

It's a small comfort to know that Cardinal Mazarin is guiding Princess Henrietta, so it should at least be somewhat more difficult to lead a proper rebellion against her.

The second problem lies with Aoi himself. It's no secret that he's powerful, so much so that even Karin the Heavy Wind can't seem to actually finish him off. He knows full well that his own Conquistadors would only fare marginally better, but they're highly trained and there's a lot of them. There'd be losses, but the Pope was confident that they could eventually take the dragon down should it come to that. Now? Vittorio finds himself less certain.

Killing an elf at least has hard, reliable numbers, after all. It takes about a hundred human soldiers to take down one elf. This one, solitary dragon wiped out thousands of human soldeirs in mere minutes, and from what he understands showed no signs of fatigue or slowing down.

Blake describes the 'battles' remarkably clinically, mostly just providing elapsed times and body counts and sparse descriptions of how his partner fought. When pressed, the elusive mage revealed that this is simply because his partner didn't bother putting much variety in his fights, as he prefers to end lethal combat as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Were the mirage duo firmly on the Pope's side, this wouldn't even be a point of consideration. With that much power, it may even be possible to fight the elves on even terms with just these two. However, Vittorio knows full well that Aoi seems to disdain organized religion, and that Blake seems to distrust the entire system.

Hence why the steampunk mage seems to be giving out information in such a careful way.

...Though the Pope finds himself needing to be honest with himself as well. As much as he would love nothing more than to put stock in them both to fix everything, he finds himself almost needing to put them at arm's length. Both are mavericks in the end, and are just so different that it's extremely likely that they're foreigners at that. They have no real stock in Halkeginia's problems, let alone the Romalian Church.

"The only matter left to attend to is what to do about this Ring of Andvari that Aoi retrieved." Blake states as the Pope's attention is brought back to the forefront. "It appears to be an artifact water ring created by a spirit of some kind."

Julio chimes in first. "Curious... The name isn't wholly familiar to me, but I think I have some coincidences that tie into that. Ragdorian Lake has been increasing in size rather rapidly lately. Given how a water spirit lives there, I would have to wager that someone struck a deal with it and promptly broke it."

Vittorio adds in after that. "Perhaps it would be best if you started there, then. While it may be possible for enough mages to simply slay the elemental spirit, they are an important aspect of nature and should not be eliminated lightly."

"Alright then, I think that adds another small task on top of everything else." Blake checks his pocket watch out of curiosity. "...Oh dear, I think I may have to cut it off here for now. It seems that something's come up."

"See to it, then." Vittorio responds. "May the Founder's blessing be with you."

"And may your own fortune hold. I get the feeling we're going to need quite a lot of it before all is said and done." Blake states before stepping through a portal.

...

Vittorio sighs. "He still doesn't trust us."

Julio comments next. "To be fair, we don't fully trust him either. I suspect that this Aoi fellow at least may have picked up some kind of power boost recently." The Right Hand then frowns. "But since we have no idea where they actually live, it's hard to check them out personally."

"One being who can destroy an army by himself. It's possible that he may be the Gandalfr, and by extension they both must know the location of at least one other Void mage." Vittorio closes his eyes as he thinks. In truth, he's grasping at sticks and he knows it, but there's flecks of evidence left behind here and there. "Assuming they aren't ahead of us and are aware of all four."

"As much as I hate to admit it, they may just. Blake is becoming remarkably well-informed about local affairs." Julio crosses his arms in annoyance. "And given just who he was with before... Professor Eleanor _would_ be one of the prime people to go to if they need information about how a land functions."

Vittorio opens his eyes not long after. "Perhaps we need to speak with the Valliere household. No inquisitions, no nonsense. Treat this as a polite, formal inquiry as to whether or not they're aware of any Void mages."

"A direct approach may not be the best. If it does wind up being one of the Heavy Wind's daughters, we can safely assume that she won't just hand one over." Julio notes while relaxing his stance some. "...And last I heard, the middle daughter is perpetually ill, as well. A shame, she's quite the beauty."

Vittorio grimaces when he hears that. "You know what has to happen if she is indeed a Void mage, or could possibly become one."

Even Julio cringes at the possibility. "That would end horribly and we both know it."

The Pope sighs once more. "Perhaps it might be wise to somehow bring that frailty to Blake's attention. He seems quite advanced, perhaps he possesses medical skill on top of everything else."

"...I'll see what I can do." Julio concedes.

-

"You're late." Eleanor taps her foot impatiently as Blake steps through a portal to meet her.

"My apologies, I had to be careful about what I said to the Pope." The steampunk mage states with a measured calm. "Honestly, I think that even with me withholding certain pieces of information, he may be guessing at what it is I'm not telling him."

While the eldest daughter's aggravation hasn't subsided, she at least nods in understanding. "Fine, I'll let you have that one. I'd be a failure of a big sister if I admonished you for helping protect Louise."

"That being said, you never did mention what you wanted me out here for." Blake notes as he observes his surroundings. It seems as though the eldest daughter has rented out a room in an inn of sorts.

"Well, I do want to speak with you about a few things while I have the time to do so, and while we're at it I figure it might be good to take you clothes shopping." Eleanor states flatly as she observes the rather... unique fashion sense Blake has. While she thinks his choice of outfits is somewhat ridiculous, it's not truly _bad_ either.

"Clothes shopping?" Asks Blake quizzically.

"You stick out like a sore thumb, you dunce." The eldest daughter yanks part of Blake's coat up. "Anyone with two functioning chunks of brain to rub together could figure out you're not from here."

"...I hate to be a downer on that plan, but how precisely do you think you're going to get me to a clothes shop to buy clothes to let me blend in without people realizing exactly that?" Asks the steampunk mage, feeling as though there's some small logical step that got missed somewhere along the line.

Eleanor smiles as pulls out a measuring strip. "Measurements. I can get your measurements, get something myself at one shop, then come back and have you change so you can come with me to another one I'm familiar with."

Blake raises an eyebrow. "That seems needlessly convoluted."

"Maybe, but I'm willing to go the extra step." The eldest daughter steps forward, seemingly more amused by what's coming than she really should be.

"You're exuding an aura of predation." Suddenly the steampunk mage feels much more uncertain about this.

"Perhaps~" And that was the last warning Blake got before Eleanor started demonstrating her physical strength.

-

Cattleya and Louise portal into the room some time later, and the former gasps and covers her mouth with her hands with the latter just looks exasperated.

Eleanor, on the other hand, seems to have gotten a little too into what she's doing and appears to be demonstrating her knowledge of knots to the poor steampunk mage. She freezes and feels her face flush red when she hears her younger sister gasp. "Er..."

"I'm sorry, big sister, I didn't know I was intruding~!" The middle daughter seems pleased by this for some reason.

"Weren't you the one saying you shouldn't do this sort of thing with him?" Asks the youngest with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"Funnily enough, this started off with her taking measurements." Blake states flatly. "We're supposed to go clothes shopping."

"T-that's right! This fool hasn't figured out that going around with such a distinct and identifiable style is a bad idea, so I want to help him pick out something that will let him blend in better!" Eleanor's voice is a little higher than usual as she stammers out her explanation. "That and I have a few academic things to talk to him about."

"So a date then!" Cattleya reaches the other possible solution in an instant.

Meanwhile Louise moves to untie Blake before anything else can go wrong.

"Thank you. Come to think of it, shouldn't Aoi be with you, Louise?" Asks the mage as one arm comes free.

"I'd like it if he could, but he'd cause widespread panic by just being out in public." Louise sounds at least somewhat unamused. "Besides, he spent some time with me already for a while. Cattleya spent a good chunk of that time drooling over his dragon form though."

"It's so cute, I can't help it." Cattleya all but pouts as she justifies herself.

Eleanor rubs her forehead, as she's predicting that this will turn into something of a headache before the day's out. Now that Cattleya's here... She narrows her eyes and looks at her sister. "You haven't been pushing yourself lately, have you?"

"I've been good, big sister. Besides, I have the usual potion stock on hand just in case things go badly." The middle daughter smiles honestly as she reveals a few phials on her belt.

The eldest daughter sighs in resignation before glaring at her younger sister. "I already know you're going to come along, so I'll give up on that point. But if you push yourself too hard I will make Blake open up a portal straight to your room and cart you to bed myself."

=-=


	37. Purposeless Purpose

=-=

Cattleya's mood couldn't be much better, all considering. Things have been improving for her sisters, and in the case of her little sister by leaps and bounds. Louise's status as a Void mage, and her contracting with someone who appears to be empathetic enough to draw out the best in her has done nothing but boost the girl's confidence and let her smile in a way that the middle sister has never seen before. A pure, joyous smile, completely unburdened by expectations and troubles.

Eleanor appears to be getting over her failed marriage rather well, all considering. The eldest daughter's interests appear to have rapidly shifted to Blake, and for reasons that Cattleya isn't completely certain of. The elusive mage is someone who is perfectly capable of keeping up with her big sister mentally, so there's the peer factor. He's also an invaluable resource and repository of knowledge both mundane and arcane, and her big sister most likely wants to capitalize on that as much as she possibly can.

The middle daughter watches her big sister fuss around with different possible outfits, and intervenes when her choices start to seem a touch outlandish or would clash in some unpleasant way. The fact that Eleanor is even receptive to critique is something of note, not to mention how much effort she's putting into this to start with. Both are a touch out of the ordinary, and it's behavior she's only seen once before.

"Big sister, I'm fairly certain I saw something that would work better the next rack over." Cattleya points to a coat that caught her eye earlier while also keeping an eye out for any potential hats that could work. "Also, while I am happy to see you so enthusiastic, your actions earlier were a little... how to put it?"

Eleanor blushes brightly in response. "I... I know. It was overboard. I'm not even sure why I'm taking my frustrations out on him like that."

Cattleya's eyes widen when she hears that. "That's what that was? Goodness, I thought you were recreating a scene from one of your favorite novels!"

The eldest daughter sputters as she tries to form a coherent response. "That's not it!" She responds sharply before toning her voice back down. "Assuming I even _do_ like him that way, it's far too early to do such things."

Cattleya nods as she waits. "I am happy to see you getting along with him like that, however."

Eleanor sighs as she grabs the coat that was pointed out. "He's been quite the gentleman so far, for someone who has no idea what they're doing. He has little handle on our social norms, and only adheres to them insofar as it's necessary to do so." The eldest daughter's face also returns its normal color. "It's both refreshing and infuriating."

"Which presses some rather impressive buttons I didn't even know you had~" Cattleya's voice is all but sing-song as she makes that little note.

"Oh, shut up." Eleanor closes her eyes and looks away, despite having a faint blush. "Anyway, Louise is doing rather well, I notice."

"Don't think you're escaping the subject, big sister~" Cattleya teases before allowing her sister to save face. "And yes, Louise is exceptionally happy lately."

"I just wish she holds a different element. What she has will bring her nothing but trouble." Eleanor's overall tone and body language softens somewhat once she starts talking about her sister. "While I don't like her partner, he's at least well-equipped to deal with what's to come."

"Indeed. Mr. Aoi seems rather reliable, if not silly." Cattleya nods in agreement. "Though yes, I worry too. Both about our little sister, and about her partner."

Eleanor frowns and raises an eyebrow at that. "Worried? About _that_ bastard?"

"Well, he _does_ mean a lot to little Louise." The middle sister points out. "It makes sense that I would worry about him too."

"Fine, I'll concede that point. Though what in the world could make you worry about someone like that?" Asks the eldest.

"Mr. Aoi is a desperate individual. Louise told me about her contract and what happened during it." States the middle sister as she recalls what Louise told her. "'You give my life meaning' isn't something someone just _says_ , Eleanor. The two may have known each other for a little while, but nowhere near long enough for either to consider the other an integral part of their life."

Eleanor reaches for a rather dapper hat that catches her eye as she mulls that over in her mind. "What do you think about that?"

"Considering everything Louise told me, I think I may know why Aoi and Blake are such troublesome individuals." Cattleya states as she considers the hat in conjunction with everything else. "I think they threw themselves into Halkeginia's troubles purely because they're looking for some purpose to dedicate themselves to."

"I thought one of the two mentioned something like that before." Eleanor says, crossing her arms as she does. "Though it makes sense. They could do anything with the power they hold, but they're willing to help. Neither are even asking for compensation of any sort. ...It's a little unnerving to think about it."

"Big sister, I know it's a little awkward but I'd like you to ask Mr. Blake about it when you go shopping with him." The middle daughter seems concerned about more than one thing, and it's something her big sister picks up on easily.

"I'll see about it." The eldest sister looks to her younger sister as she tries on the hat herself. "Meanwhile, I think I do have one more thing to inquire about when I talk with him."

"What's that?" Asks Cattleya curiously.

"Your illness. That despicable, chronic illness that saps away at your life, that Tristian's best water mages can't cure you of. Blake has shown that he's skilled in a great many regards, perhaps he'll even be able to help with this." Eleanor states with conviction.

Cattleya looks down at the ground before coughing lightly. She immediately grabs a phial, opens it, and downs it in one go.

Eleanor narrows her eyes in response. "You _have_ been pushing yourself too hard lately."

"...I'm sorry, Eleanor. I like being able to spend time with my sisters like this." Cattleya admits sheepishly. "I have these potions to help though!"

"Those are _stopgaps_ , Cattleya. If you're burning through them too quickly it means you'll be even more restricted than you already are when you finally run out." Eleanor starts tapping her foot in annoyance. "And don't think for a second that I don't care about you just as much as you care about me. I won't see you die before I do, and I will go to any length to make sure that doesn't happen."

Cattleya feels a sense of burning in her gut, though it at least has nothing to do with her illness. "I am sorry..."

"Then you can make good on that apology by heading back to bed and resting." Eleanor's expression softens once she gets most of her annoyance out of her system. "Let's pay for this, and I'll bring up your illness with Blake as soon as possible."

-

As much as Blake feels awkward in his new outfit, he has to admit that Eleanor at least knows how to find something his size. It's easily a comfortable as his usual outfit as well, which actually gives him some measure of confidence in terms of shopping for more clothes. It's enough to let him agree to let Eleanor drag him along, though even he can tell something's on her mind.

"Blake, Cattleya reminded me of something I had been meaning to ask you. Just what was it that you did before taking the burden of the Brimiric nations on your shoulders?" Asks Eleanor a bit more sharply than she had really intended.

"...I take it Aoi mentioned something somewhere along the line then." Blake replies before shaking his head. "Perhaps it was me. Either way, Aoi and I existed primarily to repair and adjust the Earth to Halk gate system our creator developed, and we did so inside of a month or two. After that? We stopped having a purpose, as it were."

"So you decided to throw yourselves into as many problems as possible until something stuck?" Asks the eldest daughter as she pulls Blake along.

The steampunk mage seems somewhat embarrassed about that. "More or less. At first we were fine with it, but after a while it started to eat away at us both. Neither of had jobs or anything, families to be with, or even basic human needs to consider. We're free of all of that."

Eleanor grumbles a little, though she stops soon enough. After all, it's not like anything about their situation was deliberate. "I guess I could understand where you're coming from. Though you don't even need to eat or drink? I've seen you do both."

"We don't need to, but Aoi and both enjoy food and drink enough to consume it in regular intervals. It also helps convince people that we're flesh and blood beings as well." Blake pauses for a moment before continuing. "Well, moreso than our bodies already indicate."

The eldest daughter rubs her forehead with her free hand as she pulls open a shop door and walks in. "You two are just plain hopeless."

"We really are." Blake admits in an amused tone. "I do have to thank you for indulging me so far, as an aside."

Eleanor blushes lightly again in response. "Well, _someone_ has to help keep an eye out for you. I understand that you have family to help, but I keep getting the feeling that you're someone I can't leave be."

"You're starting to sound like Aoi now." Blake gives a wry smile as he starts picking out pants.

"Believe me when I say that similarity is little more than a coincidence. Unlike you two I'm not desperate enough to almost be begged to be taken advantage of." Eleanor states in a somewhat annoyed tone. "...And though I say that, I do have one personal request."

"Go on." States Blake.

"It's Cattleya. I'm sure you must have picked up something off about her." Eleanor crosses her arms and has a slightly worried edge to her voice. "She's been ill nearly all her life, and that illness has all but taken her life away from her. She has to be seen by water mages regularly in order to keep it under control, and has to down potions regularly when they're not on hand. She's..." Eleanor shifts her eyes to the side as she trails off.

"I'm sure this is going to sound remarkably similar to what I've already all but accused you of, but she's desperate in her own way too. She wants to be able to live her life with her sisters, but can't without putting strain on herself. She can't stop herself, and the more she overworks herself, the worse her condition gets." Eleanor sighs as she tries to stabilize her breath. "We don't even know what it is she has, Blake. All of the best water mages we can possibly hire can't pin down what it is."

The eldest daughter seems distinctly uncomfortable with how she's having to act, but manages to shelve it for the time being. "If possible, I request that you also do what you can for Cattleya. She'll drive herself into the ground sooner or later, and one of these days we'll have to _leave_ her there."

Blake nods in response. "I'll see what I can do. I do have a decent understanding of human physiology, and Earth is far more developed in some ways as far as medicine is concerned."

Eleanor breathes out in relief. "Thank you. Now, as for outfits, you're going to need at least one cape."

"A cape?" Asks Blake quizzically.

"Yes. A cape is a status symbol of nobility, and since you can use magic, you qualify." Eleanor explains while looking through the selection. "It'll help keep you from standing out too much."

"...But capes have almost zero practical function." Blake provides as a counterpoint.

"It's not about practicality, it's about blending in." Eleanor frowns as she pokes Blake's chest. "You're almost there, but it still needs that little flourish to make people pay you no mind."

"Well, if it's flourish you're looking for, I can provide that myself." Blake states simply before chanting under his breath for a few seconds. Moments later, a cape materializes behind him, gradually draping down behind him clear to his ankles. The earthen-colored cloak has a black flame motif adorning it, and a silvery clasp with the alchemical symbols for earth and fire printed on it.

"Now you're just showing off." The eldest daughter all but pouts, while the steampunk mage looks rather pleased with himself. "...Wait, you have a dedicated cape spell?"

Blake looks to the side while looking somewhat embarrassed. "I created one on the spot, actually."

Eleanor looks completely and utterly disbelieving, then promptly smacks the steampunk mage on the head slightly. "You hypocrite! That's even less practical than an actual cape!"

"If I have to add an impractical aspect to my outfit, I'm going to do it wholeheartedly, not in half-measures." Blake adds defensively.

"That had better apply to _every_ aspect of your life." Eleanor's eyes narrow as she grumbles under her breath again. "Alright, you still need at least one more coat."

=-=


	38. Inane Theories

=-=

Eleanor taps her finger on a cafe table as she thinks. While her talks with Blake have been quite beneficial so far, she can never quite shake the idea that any concepts she gets out of this should be dealt with carefully and not all at once. "It honestly doesn't sound like we're that far behind in places." She finally says.

Blake sips his cup of coffee before answering. As it turned out, Eleanor had reserved a room at the Charming Faerie Inn initially and had planned to go back there once everything was all said and done since the food is generally known to be good. Plus, they have a niche on coffee, something she's fairly certain isn't that easy to come across. "Magic has helped you in ways Earth humans couldn't even dream of in comparable times, so it makes sense. That being said, I can tell there's some hesitation on your part."

"Well, you already know that the Romalian Church has the final say in whether a piece of research or an invention is heretical or not, but there is also the concept of social upheaval." Eleanor samples her own drink after that. "The relationship between the nobility and commoners is frequently strained for a myriad of reasons. The most common reasons are abuses of power and a disconnect between the two in terms of knowledge and values. For example, a corrupt tax collector could easily sow fear and discontent in the population as there's no easy way to bring it to light, let alone end the problem."

"Meanwhile I'd wager that the simple fact that the nobility holds magic and commoners do not also causes some strain." Blake adds in his own conclusion to the mix.

"It does. No one enjoys having power lorded over them, and some 'nobles' are quite bad about that." Eleanor confirms while shifting a little. "Which is ironic, considering that those with magic are supposed to protect and aid those without. That being said, I'm glad that you're showing reservation about releasing your technology wantonly. Careless distribution of improvements could be as bad as not giving them out at all."

She then narrows her eyes slightly. "Though don't think I missed you chatting with the Innkeeper about getting him more kinds of coffee and equipment to make more varieties."

Blake rolls his eyes innocently. "It's good practice to help keep well-liked locations well-stocked."

The eldest daughter simply sighs. "And this is why I'm helping to keep an eye on you. It wouldn't take much for you to cause a complete and utter upset by giving someone something at the wrong time."

"In the meantime, however, it is most appreciated monsieur!" The rather effeminate yet masculine man known as Scarron makes himself known as he makes his way around the tables. "I am quite surprised that a noble wishes to assist the Charming Faerie Inn!"

"Your employees make good coffee, and for once I don't have to make it myself." Admits the steampunk mage shamelessly. "Besides, I'm sure it'll help draw in more customers."

Eleanor raises an eyebrow at that admission. "You're helping an inn purely out of laziness?"

"Perhaps." Blake closes his eyes and downs the remainder of his cup. "Haa... Could I trouble you for a refill, miss?" The steampunk mage looks to Scarron.

"Of course! I will see to it straight away!" With that, the slightly odd Innkeep walks away.

"...You're remarkably flexible about people's oddities." The eldest daughter feels the slight edge of a headache creeping up on her.

"I try to be respectful about a person's quirks. Heaven knows I have a few of my own." Blake shrugs as he stretches. "That being said, I am starting to get a little curious about some of this land's quirks."

"What do you mean?" Eleanor starts to think as she tries to figure out what the steampunk mage is thinking.

"It's just speculation, but when we were looking around at that one clothing shop, I couldn't help but notice an outfit that's remarkably out of place." Blake pulls out his tablet and puts it down on the table so Eleanor can see. "A sailor fuku. It's a design that originates from Japan, but is fairly popular in other locations where I'm from. Granted, it could still be that the shop owner had a bit of inspiration one day, but it's like seeing a pistol being used by a bunch of orcs."

"That would be out of place, if not hilarious." Eleanor admits. "I suppose the question you're asking is more 'am I the only one who's ever made it here' than anything else."

"I am getting rather curious about that. The void between our worlds is already odd enough as is." Blake states. "There is space between worlds, but it is typically occupied by at least some sparse matter."

"Be careful not to get too distracted, you already have a few major points of contention to deal with." The eldest daughter advises.

"Yes, one of which is being worked on even as we speak, while the another is something I can't deal with for the time being." Blake admits. "I figure I may as well investigate some possibly minor things in the interim."

"Headmaster Osmond might know something about that, so it may be worth your time to talk to him as well." Eleanor finally finishes off her drink as well. "Also, you're drinking an awful lot, aren't you?"

"I like coffee." States the steampunk mage simply.

"It's about the only thing I've ever seen you actually drink." Eleanor points out.

"No comment." Replies Blake.

Eleanor sighs as she looks around the dining area. She takes note of all the various waitresses taking orders, flirting with the patrons, etc., as well as how Scarron has to jump in every now and again when a given patron is getting too grabby or cantankerous. "That's probably why it's taking a while to get your refill. Looks like Scarron's a bouncer of sorts too."

"I don't envy that man's position, but I'm glad he's doing it. I'd be far less pleasant about it." States the steampunk mage as he joins his peer in looking about. "They certainly have a clear clientele in mind."

"Your refill, sir." One of the waitresses brings Blake his refill, setting it down in front of him before stepping back.

The steampunk mage flips a gold coin to her in turn casually. "Thank you, miss." He doesn't quite stop there. "Come to think of it, I don't think we've been served by the same waitress twice. Is something the matter?"

The waitress in question catches the coin just as casually, indicating that Blake may not be the first to have tipped her in such a way. "It's nothing important, sir. Just us waitresses competing for tips, and you've probably tipped more than what you've bought." It's also fairly clear that this woman isn't used to such generosity.

"I have money to spare and the service here is good." That aside, the mage snorts in amusement when he heard that answer.

"And the mildly provocatively dressed women trying to flirt with you to encourage you to tip big had nothing to do with it." Eleanor, to her credit, simply states that dryly since she has a decent handle on what Blake is like.

"Not very much, to be honest." The steampunk mage notes that the waitress standing near the table seems to be pouting a bit. "That being said, might I ask your name, miss?"

"It's Jessica. Ah... do you mind if I talk freely?" She asks.

"Not at all." Replies the steampunk mage.

"Honestly, we just figured you were easy at first, but you can't be if your girlfriend here isn't annoyed by us pulling all those stunts." Jessica states in an almost confused manner.

"This idiot's an esteemed peer, not a boyfriend." Eleanor casually denies the guess before moving on. "Besides, I can hardly get mad at him when I was the one who brought him here to begin with."

"Oh, so he's one of those dense, thick as a brick types?" Jessica drops the first line of logic and rapidly latches onto the next.

"Purposely dense, thank you very much." States Blake with a faint hint of amusement in his tone. "And I've already discarded the possibility of this being a test for whether I have wandering eyes or not."

As much as the eldest Valliere daughter would like to jab back for that one, she realizes that she's painted herself into a corner on that front and would more or less confirm what she just got done denying less than a minute ago. "I think you love coffee more than women at this point anyway."

"Oh, come now. I wouldn't _marry_ coffee." Blake gestures with left hand dismissively while warming his right on the mug. "There's only so much one can do with a non-sapient liquid." The mage then gives a sideways glance at the waitress. "Come to think of it, you also don't look like the type to just start chatting up patrons without a reason."

Jessica jumps slightly, but regains composure quickly. "I do have _one_ reason. I couldn't help but overhear the part about corrupt tax collectors earlier and given how generous you're being..."

Eleanor rubs her forehead in a resigned manner. "There's actually one around here. Wonderful."

"This one's been taxing businesses into the ground anytime they so much as mildly offend him. Everyone's gotta walk on eggshells around him, and even then sometimes it's just not good enough." Explains the waitress. "He tends to come in here at least once or twice a week, and the boss is pretty scared that we're going to run out of luck soon."

"So you're seeing if the newcomer noble would be willing to help." The eldest daughter straight-up takes a sip of Blake's drink after that. "This is something I can't just turn a blind eye to, so if you're willing to help, Blake, it wouldn't kill me to join in."

"It's no good if a place I plan to invest in gets shut down because of some power abuser. I'll see what I can do here as well." Blake winds up knocking out half the mug in one go.

Meanwhile, Jessica looks happy and somewhat relieved.

=-=


	39. Awkward Introductions

In truth, while Jessica had given Eleanor and Blake the times and days in which said crooked tax collector shows up, there wasn't much that could be done immediately. In addition, despite their willingness to help, the two have no real authority to take action themselves. On the flip side, if said collector messes up and says or does the wrong thing, it's the word of a Research Academy head versus a relatively low-ranking tax collector. Once things actually get going, it should swing in the duo's favor.

In the meantime, between Vittorio and Julio's offered information and Wardes managing to locate records of the Ring of Andvari, Aoi has enough to work with to be fairly confident that it'd be worth trying to make contact with the water spirit of Ragdorian Lake in the meantime since there's nothing else absolutely critical to investigate at the moment.

It helps that both the remnants of the Reconquista and the Albionian government were so torn down, battered, and scared that all Matilda had to do was just _show up_ for the two groups to scramble over one another to work something out since she made it absolutely clear just who she's friends with. Not simply allies or partners, but friends. Not one person present in that meeting wanted to risk crossing her.

"You know, I am not certain how I should take being used as a threat, young one." Aoi's in his dragon form proper and back to speaking in his overly formal way. It helps that his voice has deepened considerably as well.

"Whatever works, I guess. You basically undid an entire rebellion inside of an hour and demonstrated enough raw might that it's probably made every nation wary of you." Louise sits on Aoi's back while enjoying the wind caressing her form. A small part of her is all but squealing internally over getting to experience riding on a dragon's back without someone assisting her. "Not to mention the fact that you're fine with just randomly showing up wherever you please with your reputation as it is."

"Yes, yes, I am aware, young one. I understand why things are as they are, but I do not necessarily enjoy it." The dragon begins to descend toward Ragdorian Lake since he portaled himself and Louise in reasonably close to it.

"Speaking of which, you don't even need to fly there." Louise hits her summon's hard scales with her fist lightly to emphasize her point. She's not even sure he felt that.

"I do not, but at times I enjoy feeling the wind beneath my wings, much as you enjoy feeling it against your body atop my back." The dragon is quick to counter his partner's point as he lands. He folds his wings back and continues the trip on foot. "Stay atop me. I cannot guarantee how this will go."

"Don't think you're getting out of this, dragon." The youngest daughter states sternly, but otherwise heeds her familiar's words. "Why are you worried, though?"

"I am not familiar with the water spirit of Ragdorian Lake, nor do I belong to a family that has the privilege of contacting it. Furthermore, I have no idea how to behave around it. It is possible that I will offend it, and I can protect you better where you are than on the ground." The dragon's eyes pick up on the fact that the ground seems to be growing more wet as they go.

"Now if only you were this conscious of your actions all the time." The youngest daughter states dryly as she looks around. "...It's just like Julio said. Ragdorian Lake is expanding."

"That is the other reason I am worried. This water spirit may also be angry and unwilling to listen." Aoi opts to form hard light surfaces under his feet and claws to keep himself out of contact with the water as he progresses. Soon enough, the grass is lightly submerged and the light emanating from the crystals on his body dances on the water's surface. "Its presence may very well rival my own in ways."

["You are heading toward the heart of the spirit's domain, Aoi. It's only natural that it would feel imposing."] Shajal's voice can be heard by both despite the elf not being physically present. ["I wish you had brought me along, however."]

"My apologies, exiled one, but the Brimiric nations cannot be counted on to be understanding or have a reaction that could be described as anything other than frothing and rabid should anyone see you or your daughter." Aoi responds while calmly walking closer to the lake's actual territory.

"Aoi's right. Just because we're used to you doesn't mean we can count on anyone else being like that." Louise crosses her arms and shifts uncomfortably before turning her attention back to her partner. "Come to think of it, why don't you refer to anyone by name in this form?"

A light laughter can be heard from the other end of the line. ["Aoi's always been stiff and formal in that form. They're almost two different people entirely, though he has his moments."]

Aoi huffs before speaking again. "Is it not proper for a dragon to behave this way?"

["Even other dragons find you stuffy, you silly."] Shajal's mood seems to be good at this stage. ["That aside, I'd recommend simply tossing the ring in from here. It may begin to regard you as a threat if you come in any closer."]

"Understood." The dragon stops in his tracks, still supported by a shining platform of silver light. "Young one, the ring, if you please."

Louise pulls out the Ring of Andvari and tosses it ahead of her just far enough for her partner to catch it.

The dragon does so with a sphere of light, and flings it to where he predicts the middle of the lake to be. "That should get its attention if nothing else. The sphere will vanish after a few seconds."

The encased ring slides about on the surface of the water for a few seconds before suddenly popping and dropping the ring into the water. The ripples formed by this action seem to last for a suspiciously long time...

["I know it's difficult, but try not to exert much more power than usual, Aoi. It's hard to tell from here, but I don't think the water spirit has any hostile intent."] The motherly elf interjects when she feels the need.

The water begins to flow upward around where the ring was dropped into the water, and while it is shapeless one can get the feeling that it's surveying its surroundings. The protrusion seems to identify both Aoi and Louise, then assumes the form of the latter before moving closer and examining the dragon more closely. "...I thank you for the return of our ring." It states simply at first. The spirit almost looks confused, given how the shape of its chosen form is rippling.

"It is better placed in the hands of its rightful owner, than left in the hands of those who would abuse its power." Aoi replies cautiously.

Both spirit and dragon appear to be at an awkward loss for words. The former speaks first. "We find ourselves in a peculiar state. We do not wish to be rude, but we wish to ask something of you. What are you?"

"I am a construct made from transmuted magic-infused matter kept in a controlled and stable flux state halfway between physical matter and energy. I have no element or form of my own, but rather adapt myself to use or be what I wish." The dragon states the truth calmly, though it's clear he's still somewhat nervous.

"An artificial changeling?" The water spirit sounds surprised by this, and puts the hand of its chosen form to its mouth out of reflex. "...Our apologies, it seems we may have briefly mistaken you for an entity long dead. Your wind presence is similar in nature." The surface of the water spirit's chosen form continues to ripple.

"My apologies, if I appear overly stiff, it is because I am unfamiliar with any codes of conduct the spirits have, and do not wish to offend." Aoi admits a few moments later. "I do not originate from these lands."

"You have not offended. We are simply not used to your presence. It is... alien to us." Admits the water spirit, its form calming down once more. "Yet not entirely unfamiliar. We have seen you before, near concentrations of wind stones before they appear to simply vanish."

"My partner and I have seen to it to reduce the amount of wind stone in such concentrated areas, so that they do not destroy the land." The dragon still seems markedly stiff all considering.

"...It is strange that one such as yourself is willing to fix what humanity has broken." Muses the spirit.

"That humanity has broken?" Asks the dragon inquisitively.

"Yes. The founder of humanity, a wielder of the Void, slew the last wind spirit that governed the flow of wind energy thousands of years ago. The accumulation of wind stones is a result of there being no one available to regulate this force, and so it accumulated." States the water spirit plainly. "It is a transgression that humanity has yet to pay for. We are unsure if you should be applauded or cursed for stopping this process."

"Do as you wish, great spirit of water." Aoi huffs in amusement at that last statement. "That being said, I must depart. Thank you for providing the information that you have, however."

"It is of no concern. It appears that we will owe you a favor in the future, as well." States the water spirit before it begins to lose form. "We admit that you are perhaps one worth watching."

Meanwhile, the dragon opts to simply portal himself and his partner out, their business concluded.

Louise seems to look rather conflicted about something.


	40. Wavering Faith

Louise is honestly unsure of what to think at the moment. From birth, she was raised with the tenants of the Brimiric faith just as the vast majority of nobles are. It is treated as law, almost, and defying it or contradicting it in any way is tantamount to heresy and anyone who finds themselves performing it tend to disappear pretty fast if they're too open about it. The term 'heresy' is also frequently used to outright ignore things that rock the boat as well, since if one can dismiss a concept of the work of a heretic, then there's no reason to question the Founder's work or the Romalian Church.

So hearing the water spirit of Ragdorian Lake outright state that Brimir is responsible for the wind stone crisis that will doom... no, _would have_ doomed humanity is nothing short of unsettling. The spirits don't think or act like humans, and it's well known that they will at most take on forms mimicking those of humans in order to converse with them. As much as she wants to just dismiss it as heresy and call it a day so she can just get this concept off her mind, she can't.

The reason being that she can't just dismiss the spirit as lying. There was a real undercurrent of disgust in its tone when is spoke of what Brimir did, and the pinkette has to wonder if the spirits are even capable of lying. ...Or rather, whether they have any _need_ to lie.

Further complicating this is the fact that she wants to believe it's _not_ true. That the Holy Founder did not in fact set this crisis in motion, so as to not doubt him any more than she already is. After all, if she accepts that the Founder made a mistake of this magnitude, that would leave room in her heart to wonder if the Founder hosed anything else up so royally that it'd take nothing short of a miracle to fix.

If she doesn't nip that line of thought in the bud, she'll wind up a heretic herself in short order.

She shifts against Aoi to make herself more comfortable. Thanks to the familiar runes, he was quick to pick up on her distress and suggest taking a little siesta (his phrasing confused her greatly initially and caused her mind to _briefly_ slide into the gutter since she thought he was talking about the admittedly somewhat cute maid at first,) which turned out to consist of just going off to sit somewhere and watch the clouds from under the broad leaves of a palm tree.

Somehow, somewhere, in a deep, dark, repressed pit, a tiny part of herself may actually be disappointed with this outcome.

Not that she can really complain, however. The smell of the ocean combined with warm, tropical breezes don't exactly bother her. In fact, that in tandem with her partner's complete lack of concern for anything helps her feel more at ease. She shifts again slightly and eeps in surprise when Aoi puts an arm around her in a hug while seemingly dozing off himself. She might have bought that if she didn't know that her partner is less a living, biological entity and more a friendly force of nature in the shape of a human.

...Louise has to admit to herself that she still doesn't really understand what her partner _is_. He's a construct to be sure, but clearly he's a hideously complex one, the likes of which modern Halk mages couldn't even begin to replicate. Not to mention possessing human-level sapience at the least, a surprisingly human logic, and a level of autonomy that even Earth Stone-infused golems can't match. The water spirit even summed him up as an 'artificial changeling,' which further piques her interest.

She knows that the summoning ritual didn't even work right for her, so it's not like Aoi's an accurate reflection of her as the spell intends. He's too... chaotic, powerful, and full of hope from the get-go to ever really be a reflection of her. Plus, if the water spirit is right, he could literally be anything he chooses.

"Hey, Aoi." She finally breaks the silence after who knows how long.

"Hm?" He hums in response.

"The water spirit called you an 'artificial changeling.' Does that mean you can turn into anything you want?" Asks the pinkette, her curiosity getting the better of her. Plus she's slightly desperate to get her mind off the whole 'heresy' thing before it goes any further.

"Sorta. One of the major limits as to what I can turn into stems from whether I know how to take that form or not." Aoi responds while holding the pinkette close. "This form and Arenkon actually both have a very large and very specific set of command codes that allow me to replicate the form of a human or a dragon, and also be able to express my power in a meaningful way. I'd have to experiment and create an entirely new set of command codes specific to each individual form I may want to take, so it's a huge drag to just come up with stuff on the fly."

Then something clicks in the youngest daughter's head. "That's it!" She exclaims as she squirms to turn around and face her summon directly. "Aoi, you can't go running around in public because everyone knows what you look like and what you are, right?"

"Yeah." Aoi opens up one eye lazily to look at his partner's own.

"Then just take a new form! If you go with something different, but familiar to Tristian's aesthetic sense..." Louise trails off as the gears in her mind turn. "People shouldn't even notice if you do it right! You can come with me again and actually get to see what Tristian has to offer without hiding out here for eighty-five percent of the time!"

"...I guess if it's another human form, it shouldn't be too hard." The dragon admits. "But wouldn't it be kinda bizarre for you to just have some random guy or gal following you around all of a sudden?"

"Less than you'd think." The pinkette continues as she gains steam. "Tristian has about 10% of its population as nobility, but that's just everyone that's been accounted for. There's bastard children between nobles and commoners who got swept under the rug, disgraced nobles, even some foreigners aren't properly documented." Though it's pretty much impossible for Aoi to easily see the gesture, the pinkette is counting off her fingers as she lists the ignored.

"We could easily come up with the excuse that you're an estranged noble looking for work, and I hired you on as a bodyguard since I'm... well..." It didn't take much to see where Louise is going with her sentence, seeing as she's a petite 16-year-old girl with no substantial muscles or athletic ability to speak of. Anyone who could get past her Void spells could literally just walk off with her if they really wanted. "...small."

"And since your mother is now widely known as Karin the Heavy Wind, the loyalty of this mysterious protector wouldn't be in question because he'd know full well your mother would rip him several new ones for trying anything." The dragon completes the next part of Louise's reasoning.

"Exactly! We can even use your status as a known international criminal to help with that, since I summoned you originally and mother's fought you numerous times. There's the possibility that you'd want 'revenge' for how many times mother's wounded you or such. The Tristian populace would eat that excuse up and pay it no mind!" The pinkette practically radiates joy and pride as she hashes out her admittedly somewhat absurd plan.

"The other conclusion they could draw is that you found a nice guy to fall in love with and took him on as your bodyguard as an excuse to keep him close." While it's partially teasing, the dragon does bring up one of the other possible scenarios.

The youngest daughter deflates slightly and blushes a bit as she considers it. "T-there's that too, yes." She bites her lower lip for a moment before continuing. "I mean, I could do worse. Granted, father would probably want to kill you and lock me up in a tower if we take that approach. Father's a kind man, but very, very protective." She then snickers slightly as she recalls something funny. "Wardes wasn't my only possible suitor originally, but he's the only one who wanted me enough and could survive both my mother and my father."

Her gaze shifts to the side as she slumps down slightly. "Then it turns out he only really wanted to use me."

"At least he owned up to it, instead of hosing things up for everyone involved." Aoi points out the one good point out of that.

"Yeah. Could you imagine if he had never met you? I could see the Albion mission going differently." Louise rests her head on her summon's chest as she speaks.

"It probably would have, but that's one big 'what if' scenario. Not to mention one that's in the past now." The dragon keeps holding his partner to help calm her. "I mean, really, we've got a lot more fish to fry from here on out, and some of them are really _big_ fish."

"Like Joseph." Louise notes. "And probably the Romalian Church, too."

"Eh, I kinda don't want to tear down an entire organization unless it's absolutely necessary." Aoi grimaces at the idea, since the religion is so wide-spread. "Not to mention the Brimiric faith is so wide-spread that there'd be people martyring the Pope everywhere. What makes you think we're going to have to fight them?"

"...I'm just guessing at this point, but you wiped out half an army single-handedly and proceeded to assassinate an enemy leader before he could even realize what was going on. You weren't even wounded in any meaningful way." Louise snuggles in as she gets ready to take a nap to help get her mind off things for a while. "Not to mention you took down an elf. The more your power comes to light, the more terrifying you are to everyone else."

Aoi looks to the side, unable to really answer that.

"I don't think there's any one nation that could stop you, Aoi. You could easily portal in, kill off all a nation's leaders and proceed to pick the rest apart at your leisure. You're also a wild card with no clear allegiances, so you could bare your fangs at any one at any time for reasons only you fully understand." The pinkette states as she closes her eyes. "I think they're all scared of you, even though you're helping them. You could just as easily turn around and crush them."

"The only people who aren't scared of you are those who actually know you, or think they can use you. Eleanor warned me that Pope Vittorio might be trying for the latter. ...Anyway, I just want to lose consciousness for a bit. Maybe dream about something fun."

"Heh. Alright, sleep well, boss." The dragon states with a small smile.


	41. La Dele Dele

While Aoi is off making sure his partner is calmed down, a certain blond mage and construct are having another discussion, as the two are wont to do lately. Charlotte is nearby reading a book with Ikurukuu curled up around her in dragon form, and Kirche appears to be sharing the spot with the bluette. The latter three are outside, lying on a trimmed lawn while the former two are sitting at a glass table with an umbrella providing shade.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, there is some sense of discomfort among some present.

Most likely because Louise and Cattleya appear to be having entirely too much fun seeing who can come up with the most interesting concepts for Aoi's next form. The former seems to almost be trying to go for extravagant, while the latter seems to be going for a slightly different approach, such as animal ears and tails.

Charlotte frowns as she closes her book and sets it to the side. "What are those two even doing?"

"Something interesting, from the looks of it. Shall we see what they're up to?" Kirche smiles as she smells a chance to mess with the youngest Valliere daughter.

Not, mind you, that she can do overly much with both the Zero's elder sisters present. As skilled as she may be as a mage and a seductress, she's not arrogant enough to assume she can take on two potentially potent opponents should either one take exception to her brand of teasing and vitriol.

The bluette groans as she realizes that she's going to get pulled into the middle of this one way or the other. Once her redheaded friend sets her mind on something, there's almost nothing that can actually stop her. She has to admit that it's one of the Germanian's more endearing traits, even if it ruins her own quiet time. "Alright, fine."

-

"What are those two up to?" Eleanor frowns as she watches her younger sisters go at it. While she is happy to see them both enjoying themselves, Cattleya has been pushing herself too hard lately for her tastes, and both girls seem to be doing something downright inane.

"Aoi mentioned simply changing his physical form to allow him to actually go with Louise when she travels as opposed to being whipped out like a wand when needed." Blake states simply enough while keeping one eye on his tablet, which seems to be giving him an overview of the Germanian operations.

"...That would make things less difficult." Admits the eldest daughter before something goes off in her head. "Wait, could you not do the same?"

The outsider meets the eldest daughter's gaze unashamedly. "Given enough time, yes."

"Why didn't you say something before?!" Exclaims the blond angrily.

"Because I have a harder time doing that than simply changing clothes. Not to mention that I did not wish to take the wind out of your sails when you came up with your idea." Blake states calmly in response. As much as he knows what he's saying is true, there is the distinct possibility that those words will come back to bite him later.

Eleanor deflates slightly and stays silent for a moment, before huffing. "You don't need to be considerate of my ideas if you already have a better one. I'm not _that_ fragile."

"You seemed happy at the time." The outsider notes as he taps his tablet a couple times. Everything's been moved underground with no further access tunnels to vent wind magic, so he feels the need to keep a constant eye on the operations lest his machines do some real damage entirely by accident. Even constructs aren't infallible.

"That aside, how are things going?" Asks the eldest daughter, having shifted her position enough to look at Blake's tablet. She's worked out a good deal of what information is being provided, but it's clear that the text the device displays is not one she's familiar with.

"Well enough. As much as I dislike the lack of ventilation, Germania's Wind Stone deposits should be reduced to safe levels within a year." Blake taps the screen once more to bring up an overview of Germania. The wind stone deposits are all highlighted, with ones at a safe level being colored blue or green, and more critical ones are colored yellow through red. "The fact that I was wrong and it turns out that Germania is in fact slightly larger than Gallia does not help matters."

"What slows everything down is that my machines have to bore through miles of earth before they can even reach their targets. If the nodes were all clustered together, that would be the more effective method, but they're often scattered." The outsider appears to be venting a little as he continues. "So I have to create an immense tunnel network, all the supports for them, then carefully remove highly volatile material that can go off with enough force applied to it and put it someplace safe."

Eleanor almost found herself reminding Blake about how that's almost entirely his fault for not actually working with anyone, but stopped. They both know he's already aware of this, and that steps are being taken to at least try and correct things. Something else promptly occurs to her as well. "To be fair, by doing this you are doing the nations another favor. You aren't fully depleting every node, just reducing each one to a safe level."

"Those tunnels will allow mages to access not just those nodes directly, giving three nations easier access to the deposits themselves, but also creating safe staging points to mine out other metals." The wind mage then huffs in amusement this time. "Ha... This truly is ironic. We spent so much time trying to figure out your techniques, and you drop the end results in our lap anyway."

"I suppose things would have been easier if we were able to contact literally anyone else first." Comments the outsider.

"It would have, but you are at least trying." Replies the eldest daughter. "That being said, this could end up helping the Princess. Perhaps you should reopen a couple node locations and allow her to find them. If Tristian can gain access to your tunnels, it would allow us to better arm ourselves and aid the improvements of the Tristian military. Not to mention getting a leg up on air superiority."

"I'll see what I can do about that, though between Romalia and Germania my resources are stretched somewhat thin. I'd have to ramp up my own production in order to do that." Blake nods in agreement before continuing. "Come to think of it, I guess it should concern me that it you and Louise appear to be the only two real supporters Henrietta has."

"We're part of a vocal minority among the nobility, unfortunately." Eleanor states plainly. "You've heard of her situation. She's scarcely older than Louise, and is unprepared for the role she has been unceremoniously tossed into. Most people prefer to pick at her for how unprepared and young she is so that they can potentially usurp her and take the throne for themselves. Vultures, all of them." The eldest daughter spits the word 'vultures' out in disgust.

"If anything, they should be trying to help her so that she can become a strong queen later on, but I suppose loyalty is out of the question."

"Did the previous ruler have these issues?" Asks the outsider.

"Not to this degree, though it should be said that there is always at least one person plotting upheaval at any given moment. The late King Tristian happened to be an imposing and strong leader, so even if there were dissenters no one wanted to actually risk angering the crown." The eldest daughter gives a brief summation of the late king before shifting topics slightly. "My family, of course, has never harbored so much as a hint of dissent toward the crown. It's one of the reasons why dear Louise was allowed to be one of Henrietta's playmates."

"...And before you ask, yes, part of my concern for the Princess stems from the fact that she is one of Louise's few friends." Eleanor admits without being prompted. "Stations aside, the little brat does care about her quite a lot."

Blake simply raises an eyebrow at that.

"I meant Louise, not the Princess." Clarifies the blond.

The outsider nods.

"Speaking of Louise... Honestly, it still amazes me just what it is she's been saddled with. I do not envy her one bit, however." Eleanor gestures with her hand as she speaks. "She and the Princess are more alike in terms of situation than I'd like to admit. Both are stuck in roles they aren't ready for, both were, and in the Princess' case still is, nearly devoid of friends and support, and both are still weak enough to be exploited horribly if not properly protected."

"And though I'm still not fond of that bastard dragon, I cannot deny that he is at the very least exactly the sort of overpowered protection Louise needs." The eldest daughter looks to the side toward her youngest sister after saying that. "It does help ease my worries."

"Ideally, her power won't even be necessary. I know that I must reek of bias, but I simply do not trust Vittorio further than I could throw him." Blake states before pausing. "...Bad example."

Eleanor gives the outsider a stern, quizzical look.

"I took Aoi's advice and gave myself a transformation similar to his own. The end result is that I am nowhere near as vulnerable as I once was, and my physical strength has increased considerably." The outsider explains. "Honestly, I could probably throw Vittorio a considerable distance."

Eleanor snorts in amusement at that. "There's something amusing about someone as straight-laced as you contemplating that with a straight face."

"I tend to prefer keeping a tighter leash on my emotions than Aoi does. The way we express our power is based on intent, and emotions can play into that. ...As a result, I think it's made me appear a little emotionally stunted at times, but it's better than me flying off the handle." Blake sets his tablet to the side since he's more or less done with it.

"Big sister, could you come over here~?" Asks Cattleya once she's in earshot.

The outsider nods to the eldest daughter to show that he does not mind.

"Alright, I'm coming..." Eleanor gets up off her chair and walks away with her younger sister.

Blake sighs and gets up as well. "I suppose I should see what they're up to..."

-

Charlotte finds herself trying her hardest not to laugh at the situation at hand. At first she was annoyed at how she was dragged into the middle of what appears to be a rather extreme makeover, but quickly found herself making various subtle adjustments and suggestions despite herself. Not to mention how the construct assumes a new form. He always hid it with some flash of light or some other obscurity, but there's just something oddly fun if not disturbing about watching him... kind of _melt_ to assume a new form. She knows he's not human and is a magical construct, but she couldn't really appreciate just what that meant before now.

Watching him assume various different forms and make a complete fool of himself is amusing to her. It eventually reached the point where the original purpose of this exercise was forgotten and remade into what could best be described as impromptu comedy.

...Though if she has to be honest with herself, seeing Aoi in his arguably natural state is interesting too. He doesn't seem to have any cohesion from the waist down in between states and is quite slime-like. She notes that he's colored silver, much like any part of his body that strays from him for too long. Additionally, while it's a little hard to tell she can tell that there's at least five or six faintly glowing points on his body, with a large one in his torso and lesser ones scattered through his form.

"Big brother is silly." Ikuruku comes to her own conclusion aloud, which snaps Charlotte out of her line of thought.

Then she feels as though she almost lept out of her own skin when Cattleya takes up most of her view. "You can speak?" Asks the middle daughter excitedly.

The Gallian Princess slaps her own face before conking her familiar on the head with her staff. "It was supposed to be a secret, but yes, Sylpheed can speak." It's a touch more embarrassing for her than anyone else, since she forgot to even apply a silencing spell. Has she really gotten that complacent that she can't even...

"That's amazing! Most species of dragons can't speak at all, or at least they can't speak in a language we can understand!" Meanwhile the middle daughter is fawning over Sylpheed and scratching her chin. The dragon in turn appears to be rumbling in a similar manner to how a cat purrs. "The only kind I know of that can do that are-!"

"Rhyme dragons, yes." Charlotte confirms it before the middle daughter can finish speaking. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly to calm herself since she doesn't need to be on edge all day every day anymore. As hard as it is for her to accept, so far she's safe here.

The pinkette all but squeals as she hugs said Rhyme Dragon. "They're supposed to be extinct, but you have one right here!" She deflates slightly when she realizes something. "Ah, but she's yours, isn't she?"

"Yup! Big sister is big sister!" Ikurukuu confirms for her.

Cattleya hums for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Perhaps I can be your bigger sister then?" She asks hopefully.

"Bigger big sister?" Asks the dragon.

"What." Says the entirely confused and bemused bluette.

Meanwhile, Kirche simply snorts in amusement while trying to keep herself from laughing.

"Cattleya, I know you're excited, but this is entirely inappropriate." Eleanor states while tugging on her younger sister, for all the good that's doing.

"Yes, the Vallieres are supposed to be stealing from the Zerbst family, not the Gallia family." The redhead decides to interject at that moment, despite the apparent danger.

"Har har, Zerbst bitch." The eldest daughter snipes at Kirche while tugging slightly harder. "Cattleya, you had better not have cast reinforcement magic on yourself."

"Noooo, it's a Rhyme dragon, Eleanor! Who knows when I'll get to see one again?" The middle daughter seems to have a grip like iron on Ikurukuu, who in turn doesn't seem terribly bothered by all this.

"It's not like I'm going anywhere." States the bluette in an annoyed tone. "You can come see her anytime you want."

Eleanor looks to Charlotte after a moment. "My apologies, she always gets like this when she sees something she really likes."

"Bigger big sister is silly too." States the rhyme dragon happily, apparently having taken a bit of a liking to Cattleya as well.

"I guess that explains why she kept wanting me to have monster parts." Aoi slides over in his in-between state with Louise riding on one of his shoulders. "Especially ones on my lower half."

"Well, you do have that wonderful little option~" Kirche purrs as she slides up to the dragon's side.

"Don't even think about grabbing at my partner, Kirche." Spits Louise as she points at her (recently reminded of) rival.

"So should I target you instead~?" Asks the redhead teasingly.

"No grabbing at me either!" Shouts the pinkette.

"But those are the best ones!" Cattleya whines a bit as she feels her grip weakening.

Eleanor's face goes completely red as she realizes what's being discussed and seeks to yank her younger sister off the dragon harder.

Charlotte has a similar reaction, burying her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

Louise blushes a bit more lightly.

"...Seriously? First chance you girls get to alter my form and _that's_ what you go for?" Asks the construct in an amused tone.

"Shut up! You're not helping!" Eleanor shouts... then shouts again as she tumbles backward after winning her impromptu tug-of-war. "Honestly, you're being so immature Cattleya."

It seems as though the middle daughter has lost consciousness.

"...Cattleya?" Asks the eldest daughter sternly before realizing what must have happened. "Oh no..."

"Hey Blake, get her moved to med bay!" Aoi shouts to his partner, who in turn reacts quickly.


	42. A Cup of Pertinent Medical Knowledge

To say that the youngest and eldest Valliere daughters are in a state of panic is something of an understatement. Louise is loath to leave her older sister's side, while Eleanor is busy pacing back and forth. Most everyone else has refrained from joining in largely because Blake asked them not to, though Shajal was called in to help provide support. Though no one present is expressly qualified as healers, the constructs and the elf feel that they should be able to work something out.

Cattleya appears to be suspended in a stasis field for the time being, her condition effectively being frozen in terms of progress until someone can actually do something about it.

"Yeesh, that was a whiplash." Says the dragon as he looks over a number of readouts. "Shajal, any progress?"

"I'm close. The water spirits around here are eager enough to help, but you will need to drop that spell before they can do anything." States the elf as she continues to call on the native water spirits.

"There really is never a dull moment around here." Blake seems to be rather annoyed about the whole thing. "I may need to go collect some information about human physiology, or at least get some kind of medical scanner." Though he says that, it seems as though he's busy building something from scratch.

"Yeeeeeah, we weren't exactly made to be doctors." Aoi scratches his head before noticing something and pointing to a screen. "Wait, if you don't have any of that on hand, then what's producing these readouts?"

The outsider spares them a glance before continuing his work. "Those are meant to scan for energy types and any possible fluctuations that occur while the target is being read."

"Alright. I'm also gonna guess that these clusters of life energy aren't normal." The dragon taps the screen to bring up a readout of life energy, which appears to be flagging somewhat overall in the middle daughter's body. Meanwhile, there are minuscule bright spots all over her body that resemble a developed country at night. "No other types present though, and there's a definite drop in energy around them."

"At least that tells me where to focus if nothing else." States Blake as he continues. "Still have no idea if that relates to a disease, parasite, carcinogenic material, or what, however."

"Alright, the spirits are ready." Shajal makes herself known once more now that she's finished.

"Dropping the stasis field in three... two... one." The steampunk mage proceeds to drop the stasis spell, and the water spirits are quick to begin their work in stabilizing the middle daughter.

"...Wow, these things work fast." Aoi whistles as he watches the readouts stabilize across the board almost instantly. Though some are still low, they are no longer declining.

"You've seen them work before, Aoi. This should come as no surprise to you." States the motherly elf with an amused quirk of the lips.

"It doesn't make it any less impressive. So long as they keep it up, Cattleya will be fine." The dragon seems content with the current state of affairs. "Imagine if magic were this prevalent back on Earth. We'd probably be able to cure stuff like this almost instantly by now."

"There's no use theorizing about what-ifs we could never have been around for." Blake steps into the conversation for a moment. "Not to mention that being able to cure a problem and understanding the nature of the problem are not inherently mutual in nature."

"The water spirits would be able to purge whatever ails Cattleya from her without further assistance." The motherly elf starts, thinking from a humane viewpoint, but considers the alternate viewpoint. "But simply curing her isn't really enough for you."

"Not really, no. If we simply rely on the water spirits for all of it, we will have learned nothing. By at least getting a sample of this ailment, it would be possible to figure out what happened, how to prevent it, and ideally how to cure it without relying on the spirits. I do not mean to offend, but the Brimiric nations are..." The outsider states his viewpoint, and his stance is visibly relaxed some. Though he cringes when he remembers who he's talking to. "You know."

"Indeed. It is a long ways off before our people can find peace with the humans." The motherly elf nods in acknowledgement.

"So, how's your foot taste?" Asks the dragon cheekily.

"Can it, you twit." The outsider snipes back before responding to Shajal. "Well, several thousand years of prejudice isn't going to vanish overnight, true." He then sighs. "I admit that I cannot fathom how two groups of people could possibly hate each other for that long. Common sense would dictate that the further in the past is the original event that sparked the racism is, the more likely it is that subsequent generations would be willing to question why they have to keep hating each other."

"The Romalian Church is easily the greatest problem so far as I can tell. They've elevated the Founder Brimir to a savior status, perhaps even that of a deity to be worshiped. With their institution so heavily ingrained in the Brimiric nations, it isn't so far-fetched that in this case prejudice and fear could persist for so long." The motherly elf takes a seat as she keeps an eye on the spirits.

Aoi runs a hand through his hair as he considers what Louise was worried about before. "...Cripes, I think I could see a need for us to eventually punch both the church and the elves out. That situation's like a bunch of dry brush waiting for someone to throw a lit match into it. Eventually everyone's going to run out of luck."

"Let's focus on clearing up the wind stone crisis first, and this young lady's life before that. Then we can plot the complete dismantling of two racist systems." The steampunk mage rolls his eyes as he finishes making a few adjustments. "Alright, I think we can measure her heart rate, blood pressure, ect., with this. I'll need to go back to Earth for a bit to grab some medical books and hope that Halk humans and Earth humans function largely the same."

"It actually scares me somewhat how I can't tell when you're serious and when you're not." Admits Shajal, who is smiling none the less.

"Blake's kinda the straight man in a comedy routine. Usually." Aoi clarifies. "Anyway, you do that. We'll keep an eye on things here."


	43. Indulging in Theoreticals

As dangerous as Cattleya's condition is, the truth of the matter is that Shajal's ability to channel water spirits would have been more than enough to succeed where the Brimiric Water mages had failed. The Elves' ability to contract and utilize natural spirits in the world to aid them far outclasses the human's ability to assert their own logic in the world, which is the biggest and most well-known reason as to why the Brimiric nations have yet to retake their Holy Land. They simply couldn't compete.

Yet despite the simple and easy answer available to cure the middle daughter, Blake refuses to take the simple route and insists on knowing more about her affliction on the grounds that it would be better to understand it rather than just reject it.

"...If nothing else, Cattleya is up and about again." Eleanor chooses to deal with the outsider for the time being, leaving Louise to keep an eye on their sister. She's notably agitated at how things seem to be stalling.

"That's the first step. Take a look at this." The steampunk mage directs the eldest daughter's attention to a small containment field with a microscope-like device attached to it. There's a small, bleached worm-like creature wriggling about in plain view on the display.

"A parasite? That's all she had?" Asks the eldest daughter, who crosses her arms and narrows her eyes in thought. Why hadn't anyone noticed that sooner? She deflates slightly and huffs moments later. "'All she had', I said."

"Don't worry. This is better than some of the things she could have had. That being said, this specimen does appear to be tougher than most anything Earth is familiar with. If I had to hazard a guess, it's because Halkigenia is host to a number of fantastic beasts that are stronger than anything found on earth." Blake explains while shifting through a number of readouts... only to realize that strictly speaking he hasn't hashed out a meaningful conversion system and as such what statistics he does have won't mean anything.

That being said, the eldest daughter is at the very least inquisitive. "Yet not so much that water mages cannot destroy them."

"The adult parasites, yes. The eggs are a different matter entirely." The outsider crosses his arms and brings up a different readout. "The problem is that the eggs are strictly speaking not only harder to detect by comparison, but are also significantly more durable. Between Cattleya's own natural energy and the swarms of parasites infesting her system, the dull read of the eggs are almost impossible to pick up on."

"Shajal was able to pinpoint the worst of them, but fact of the matter is even the spirits have a hard time locating them all. Parasites are notorious for reproducing at an insane rate, and these have been infesting your sister for who knows how long. Conventional methods may not even be able to touch them without causing her harm, if not killing her outright depending on where they are."

Eleanor blanches slightly at the blunt declaration.

"That being said, there are ways to kill the eggs without hurting your sister. I just need to figure out what those are." Blake frowns as he considers his options. At the moment, there aren't too many since Shajal takes care of conventional healing via water spirits and water stones. Aoi's own methods of healing are powerful, but exclusive to his construct nature and would require untested conversion spells to even make use of.

"I admit that I feel impotent at the moment. My own element is wind, which isn't exactly renowned for its healing properties." The eldest daughter closes her eyes as she tries to think of something herself. "I understand the principles of healing magic and potions, but I can admit that I don't have much firsthand experience with using either."

"That's fine. When one cannot solve a problem, it only makes sense that one turns to another for help." States the steampunk mage simply. "Though my own expertise lies in metallurgy and more constructive and destructive uses of magic. Were it simply a matter of killing these things..." He trails off before bringing one hand out and turning it upward. A dark yet vibrant rosewood flame erupts from his palm for a few moments. "There wouldn't even be ash left."

The downright casual display causes the eldest daughter to start a little before she relaxes again. "It never ceases to amaze me how casual you are about the use of your own magic, let alone your lack of a need of foci to perform it." In truth, she's also immensely curious about the nature of the fire Blake uses as well. Most magical fires range from red to yellow, yet the one he produced is darker than the usual fare with a notably different presence to it.

"Some Earth mages simply have no need for such things, though naturally it takes a fail amount of discipline to pull that off consistently." Blake dismisses the fire and grabs a nearby book and flipping through it. "Now to try and find some way to kill durable parasite eggs without destroying the surrounding flesh."

Eleanor remains quiet for a brief time before speaking again. "Is your home really called 'Earth'?"

"It is. I know, it makes discussing the difference between mages who originate from Earth and mages who use the earth element a bit difficult, doesn't it?" Asks the steampunk mage as he continues flipping through.

"Very. Not to mention it's not exactly creative. We at least call our world Midheim. ...At least some Brimiric people do. We haven't exactly settled on one concrete name yet." The eldest daughter rolls her eyes as she recalls the countless debates that started ages ago and continue on to this day because no one can properly agree on what one thing should be called.

"Midheim?" Blake shifts his attention to Eleanor completely as that piques his interest. "Interesting, a race of people known as the Norse in my world once called Earth that as part of their mythology."

"Did they by chance refer to their heaven as Valhalla?" Asks the blond, finding herself curious as well.

"A type of heaven, but yes. It's one dedicated to those slain in battle." Responds the outsider.

The eldest daughter taps her cheek in thought. "It's not normally a field of interest to me, but I think I may have to investigate that when I have the time. Our worlds sound similar in a few ways."

"I'm amazed that you're taking this 'other world' thing so well, to be honest. I figured the idea would be too absurd for most people to handle." The outsider returns to flipping through his book, marking possibly relevant pages as he goes.

"Blake, you and Aoi are constructs whose nature is something beyond what most anyone is capable of reproducing. You move about via a powerful gate spell. You utilize machines whose forms and functions are the stuff of fantasy for the Brimiric nations. The way you wield magic is unlike anything I have ever seen." Eleanor goes through a list of reasons with an amused tinge to her tone. "Not to mention that for all your shortcomings, you are both a scholar yourself and have not lied since you've arrived. Committed faux pas after faux pas, yes, but you haven't lied to me."

"Matilda, Tiffania, and Shajal also vouch for you whenever the subject is brought up. It is an absurd idea to wrap my head around, but at the same time it makes an infuriating amount of sense."

"If it'd help, Aoi and I are going to take a break soon and sightsee on Earth for a day trip. You're welcome to come along if you wish." Blake sets his book to the side, having bookmarked it half to death in the process of skimming it.

"I think I'll take you up on that, assuming I'm free." Eleanor then notes the raised eyebrow on Blake's face. "Don't look at me like that. I do have a job as the head researcher at the Tristain Research Academy. I'm simply performing part of that job function here with you because you're integral to the resolution of the Wind Stone crisis."

"With us both secretly being glad that Cattleya isn't present to hear that." The steampunk mage nods in acknowledgement.

"She already won't let me hear the end of it when it comes to you." The eldest daughter looks to the side as if to check for her younger sibling. The middle daughter of the three always has a knack for showing up when one least expects it.

"Ah, one more thing in regards to your sister. From what I was able to determine, she seems to have broken human limits in terms of spellcasting to a small degree." Blake gestures as he remembers one other potentially important detail. "She seems to have a low-key reinforcement spell active on her most of the time, which I suspect is why she's even alive at all."

"Why do you say that?" While this is a point of interest, Eleanor once again finds herself annoyed with her sibling for basically ignoring all common sense.

"The breed of parasite that's infesting her appears to be not only stronger, but much more prolific in terms of reproduction. Even when simply culturing them, I was able to generate tens of thousands in a matter of hours. I suspect that whatever they've evolved to infest has an immune system capable of eradicating the vast majority of them, or otherwise able to limit the damage they can cause." Blake brings up another set of readouts in regards to the breed of parasite involved. "The human body simply would not be able to withstand them under normal circumstances. For these things, it's like going from boring through bedrock to boring through soft earth."

"The periodic purges helped immensely, make no mistake, but it seems that Cattleya's own desires allowed her to manifest her power in such a way that she could passively enhance herself. If there have ever been periods in which she's been able to move or act for longer than usual, I suspect that this may be why."

"You're saying that without it, Cattleya would have been overwhelmed years ago." A sense of dread forms in Eleanor's gut as she considers the implications of this. "Reinforcement spells are meant to toughen the body in order to withstand physical blows better, but for the most part they're impractical precisely because they place a constant drain on the mage's concentration and willpower. Not to mention that most mage duels end after the first successful spell due to the power of the mages involved, regardless of the durability of either party."

"...Yet if you're right, my little sister may be a powerful mage indeed." The dread leaves and is replaced by a sense of pride as she smiles. "Which is no less than what I'd expect. I myself am a square class mage, Louise bears the Void, mother is a legend, and even father is powerful. The Valliere bloodline simply does not produce weak mages or incompetents."

"To say nothing of her willpower reserves. I suspect that though this infestation was well on its way to eventually killing her, there may yet be a silver lining in that cloud." Blake smiles as well, feeling that Eleanor's own joy is slightly infectious.

"I certainly hope that is the case. At the rate this is going, the Valliere family is going to owe you a debt we can never repay." The eldest daughter shakes her head in amusement at the mere concept. "Especially after helping Louise discover her own element and ensuring her safety."

"I'm not doing it to generate such a debt, however." The outsider seems a touch uncomfortable as he remembers the scenarios that have driven him to take up such lofty goals in the first place.

"Yes, yes, you're an idiot altruist who is looking for his purpose. I'm beginning to suspect that if mother knew of your nature, she would consider bringing you into our family to afford you some protection from being taken advantage of." Apparently the news that not only could her younger sister be cured of her ailment soon, but that she could also be a powerful mage has instilled quite the sense of joy in the eldest daughter. "Of course, that would be after the issues with Gallia are resolved."

"Which will basically be whenever Joseph is dealt with, essentially." That bit reminds Blake of just how far he has to go before he can even consider patching things up with the other nations completely.

"It's only a matter of time. With the Pope fully aware of Joseph's crimes and you being you, I suspect that that issue will reach a head one way or the other fairly soon." States Eleanor confidently.

"I can only hope that is the case." States the outsider.


	44. Sisterly Contemplation

After a while, Eleanor leaves Blake to his work and heads off to see her sister and try to help make sure that the middle sister didn't do anything else completely stupid. What was said not too long ago still weighs on her, yet at the same time gives her hope. If Cattleya can be cured of this, she would basically get her life back. ...Not unlike what Aoi did for Louise, muses the eldest daughter.

"I swear, at the rate those two are going they're going to end up attracting a lot of admirers before this is over." Eleanor states dryly as she approaches Louise and Cattleya. "I hope you're taking it easy, Cattleya."

The middle sister pouts as she looks at her big sister, but can't help but look to the side afterward. "I'm not _that_ careless, Eleanor. Though I am glad that Blake was able to react as soon as he did."

"Is there any progress toward an actual cure?" Asks the youngest daughter.

"There is, but I'm not sure how long it will take. Blake thinks it will be better if he can understand the nature of the parasites infesting our sister." Eleanor pulls up a seat and sits down, then crosses her arms. "Honestly, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that this is the case. You've been around animals all your life, and as careful as everyone has been I suppose it was only a matter of time before we ran out of luck."

"I'm honestly not sure which of mine could have even done that. I am _quite_ careful about my and my pet's hygiene." Cattleya taps her cheek in thought. "There are only a few truly problematic species, but we have water mages come through and check anything particularly exotic before I keep it. Not to mention periodic checkups."

"It could be that someone else got careless, but only mother really uses anything that fits the description Blake gave." The eldest daughter considers her mother's manticore mount, who certainly is quite old, exotic, and powerful. The problem is whether or not any of Karin's daughters could actually broach the subject to her skillfully enough to consider it. "Not that I'm entirely sure that information would help him. He's trying to figure out how to kill the parasite eggs without killing you, and he seems to have a handle on their durability."

The wind mage continues at the unspoken prompt. "The water mages were helping you, Cattleya, the problem is that they were only ever able to purge the living parasites. The eggs were apparently beyond their ability to detect, let alone deal with. Shajal might have been able to cure you completely, but again, Blake wants to do things his way."

Louise frowns and leans back a bit in thought. "I can understand why he's doing it from an academic standpoint. If he figures out how to get rid of them safely, then he can reproduce the effect whenever it's needed."

"I'm simply happy that I'll be able to live my life soon. I don't mind if it takes a little bit longer." The middle sister sits down while smiling.

"Speaking of which, Blake also noticed one more thing about you, Cattleya. Apparently you have a minor reinforcement spell active on you at all times." As much as the eldest daughter is happy to hear about her younger sibling's aptitude for magic, it still makes her worry and wonder some. "Were you aware of this?"

Louise's eyebrows shoot up when she hears that, as even the strongest mage can't keep a spell active forever without suffering from willpower depletion.

The middle sister seems simultaneously embarrassed and surprised. "...Well, yes. I wanted to see if I could use a reinforcement spell to take care of my pets on one of my worse days, but I dismissed it after an hour or so and only cast it again when I was sure I could get away with it. I did not think it was possible for it to stick like that."

"He did mention you willing yourself past your limits as a theory..." Eleanor starts, but trails off. As far as concepts go, this isn't even that absurd all considering. Her own talents as a square class mage cannot be understated, and Louise can access the Void. "Though it certainly stretches my sense of disbelief. The only race capable of doing what he's describing are the elves, and you certainly aren't of elven blood." The eldest sister taps her foot in annoyance as she tries to think up some logical explanation. "I'm not even sure what to think about that. I am happy that you should be reasonably powerful once this is all said and done."

She then looks to Louise. "Now that I think about it, your partner should have some insight as to what's going on. Where is he?"

"He mentioned something about putting the finishing touches on his alternate form. I admit that I'm kind of worried about what he means by that." Louise rolls her eyes at the mere though of what must be going through the construct's mind when he said that. Knowing him, whatever form he takes will most likely need further adjustment before he can actually go out in public.

"Something good, hopefully!" Cattleya places her hands together in anticipation since she's excited about it. She was quite vocal about all the possible forms the construct could take, and hopes to actually see a couple of them implemented. She then pouts when she notices how her older sister is looking at her. "I did not suggest anything inappropriate!"

"Given your track record and sense of humor, I find that comment hard to believe." Eleanor adopts a more neutral expression as she locates a chair of her own. "...Not to mention I'd prefer to not see you ruin yourself for marriage."

"It's not ruining yourself for marriage if you're with who you want to marry." Cattleya's tone takes a turn for the teasing as she smiles again.

The eldest daughter groans in response as she covers her face with her hands.

"Big sister, that's still not appropriate." The youngest sister chimes in somewhat worriedly.

"I think I'm allowed a little leeway in how appropriate I act in private. I've been ill most of my life with virtually no chance of finding love outside of my pets and family, let alone living a life of my own." The middle daughter seems genuinely annoyed by that, though at the same time she doesn't seem mad about it. "I'm allowed to fantasize."

"I know you are, but please remember to show discretion." States the eldest daughter as she regains her composure. "People will take advantage of you if they think you're desperate."

"I wonder if Aoi and Blake could make a third brother of sorts." Cattleya seems to ignore her sister somewhat and taps her cheek while keeping one eye on her sister just to see how she reacts.

"There is so much wrong with that statement I don't even know where to start." Eleanor seems to take the whole thing in stride, or at least as much as she can possibly manage.

"It's possible, just not simple." States a voice that is familiar, yet different. "Hate to distract from the current conversation, but how do I look?"

"...Aoi." Starts the pinkette.

"Hm?"

"Why are you a woman?" Louise rubs her forehead in annoyance as she looks her partner over. She notes the dirty blonde hair, that's kept relatively short, green eyes, relatively petite build, and clothes that are thankfully fitting for a noble to wear. Her partner's even got a wand on him... her... now.

"Weeeeeell, it occurred to me. If people are looking for my usual form, then they're expecting a guy with a bizarre fashion sense and silver hair, right? All those other ideas are all well and good, but a lot of them weren't really what I figured were ordinary, or there was some way to link them back to me." Aoi explains while crossing her arms. "This? This is so wildly different, but similar enough to what's normal around here that I figured if anything no one should bat an eye at it."

"I could easily come up with some random, native name and just say that I'm either an estranged noble or a bastard who stumbled on her magic!" States the construct with a smile.

"I'm not sure what's worse. That you think nothing of making such a change to begin with, or that your concept makes a frightening amount of sense." Eleanor mentally laments the lack of headache remedies on hand as she thinks about this some.

Meanwhile, Cattleya simply pouts a bit. This isn't quite what she was hoping for.

"At least you look like you'd be able to pass for a regular human, but this is still a little extreme." States Louise, who is apparently not quite as bothered with the sheer eccentricity required on her partner's part to think this is the absolute best possible move. Though all three sisters have seen the construct in its between phases state, which helps. "Anyway, once everything's settled with big sister we'll head out and see if Henrietta's ready for us."

"Alright, boss."


	45. Counter Conspirators

It eventually came to light that while Blake is doing his best to find a permanent solution to Cattleya's problem, the fact of the matter is that he's also having to dive headfirst into realms of magic and medical science that he simply isn't familiar with. Not to mention that there appear to be subtle differences between Earth human and Halk human physiological properties, and as a result there's no way of knowing precisely how various possible cures would interact with the middle daughter. As a result, Eleanor is supplying the outsider with as much medical research as humanly possible to assist him, though she herself does indeed go back to the Research Academy to do her actual job every now and again.

It helps that part of her job really does deal with the Wind Stone crisis, and while her peers and superiors consider her methods unorthodox, she is none the less producing results they're ecstatic to see.

Cattleya remains in Blake's care as well, with some of her pets being moved in periodically and both the Duke and Duchess Valliere being alerted to what's going on so neither feel the need to try and storm a well-fortified base/home/resort to rescue their daughter needlessly.

Meanwhile, Louise recognizes that she is of little help as she is, and opts to get something else dealt with in her spare time in the hopes of keeping her mind off all the myriad things that can and could go wrong with this. Namely, meeting with Henrietta to discuss matters important to the nation as a whole beyond the whole 'averted doomsday scenario,' 'possible doomsday invasion scenario,' or 'upper echelons of nobility that double as gormless vultures who will exploit the new Void mage for their own ends if given half the chance scenario.'

The pinkette also can't decide if she likes the instant transport capabilities of the construct's portal spell or carriage rides more. One's more scenic, the other just gets you to your destination in the blink of an eye, which is far more useful than most people around Tristain could ever hope to comprehend.

"Is something the matter, my lady?" Asks the young-looking woman next to her.

"Just the usual, Joan. I truly find the Princess' position unenviable." Louise responds while looking out the window. It had taken a bit more work, but eventually the Valliere sisters had managed to nail down a near-ideal look for the construct based on what would be considered too ordinary for most people to note. Aoi himself actually suggested a decent rename as well in the form of Joan of Arc.

It sounds markedly familiar to a name held by an old Tristain revolutionary, but it was ultimately deemed safe enough to use so long as she doesn't try to identify what family she belongs to. Nobles who discard bastard children are most likely all too happy to forget they even exist, which in turn can make it easy enough to masquerade as a bastard since they in turn most likely have no love for whichever noble threw them away in the first place.

"Indeed." The construct's demeanor has changed as well to be more dignified and befitting that of her station as a guard. "...So far the results have been promising."

"I'm not surprised. It's not like you're spitting tornadoes or cracking the sky open like usual, and you look like a normal human." The youngest daughter points out as she looks to her partner. "Plus you know to cast magic from your wand. Though I'm not so sure about those guns you have. Big sister explained that we only have flintlocks."

"I don't need to go around telling people where I got the revolvers from, you know." Joan points out as she examines Blake's handiwork. The pair she has on her were originally meant for his own use, but between his advances in magitech and his own magecraft having such low-key and conventional firearms seem somewhat redundant.

Somewhat.

"Just try not to flaunt anything and we'll be fine." Says Louise, although one could argue she's saying it more to herself than anyone else.

The rest of the ride passes in relative silence.

-

It hadn't taken long for Louise to find herself in the presence of the Princess once more, though she can't help but notice the slight change in guards. A young woman by the name of Agnes greeted them and brought them directly to Henrietta, though she kept one eye on Joan as they walked. The pinkette isn't surprised by this since for all intents and purposes her 'guard' came into existence all of yesterday, tops.

"My apologies, it took some time but I believe that I have something of relevance that I can entrust you with, Louise." Henrietta sits at her desk looking both happy to see her best friend and annoyed at herself for having to make it a purely business-related thing. "While the Reconquista has been cowed into cooperating with the remnants of the Albion nobility, the fact of the matter is that there are still those fanatical enough to attempt to continue the movement."

"Even after half their standing army got wiped out, and their leader assassinated?" Louise exclaims in disbelief. "There's rumors that the resurrection ring Cromwell was using to fake his legitimacy as an inheritor of the Void was lost as well!" She does realize that perhaps she realistically would not have had any way of knowing about the late Reconquista leader's demise with any measure of certainty if it weren't for Blake and Aoi. While she changes her approach halfway through, the 'damage' is done.

The Princess closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Honestly, Louise, we both know that you know the truth of what happened and how you know it, but discretion is still needed." She looks at her friend again with a small smile despite that slip-up. "Fortunately, neither I, Cardinal Mazarin, nor my Musketeers are untrustworthy."

"Am I somehow exempt from that inclusion, your highness? You wound me." Despite his words, Viscount Wardes seems more amused by this than anything else.

"While I am grateful for your help in obtaining information about the Reconquista movement, Viscount, you have technically committed treason as you have acted against the crown without either my knowledge nor permission." Points out the princess. "Granted, you at least chose to betray us for a good reason."

Joan's body tenses slightly, a bit of language not missed by Henrietta.

"And I would assume that you are in fact the one responsible for demoralizing the Reconquista to begin with?" Henrietta adresses Joan next, who in turn sighs and facepalms.

"Yes, your highness." The guard starts off at first, but her body language quickly shifts to something more normal for the construct. "Seriously? I altered my form specifically so I could go around with Louise and _not_ arouse suspicion or anything like that. If you start saying things like that out in the open, people could pick up on it and blow my cover!"

"I took the precaution of placing a silence spell around the entire room. Sound can neither enter nor leave so long as I maintain it." The Viscount explains both his methods and likely the reason he is even there to begin with.

"So we're back to being shady co-conspirators, huh?" Joan seems amused despite herself, crossing her arms as she speaks. "Well, I think we're getting seriously off-track here. Reconquista's been beheaded, but I guess I didn't gut them hard enough."

Agnes and her fellow musketeers seem utterly confused by all of this, though the former at least keeps her body language down to a bare minimum.

"Yes and no." Henrietta rises from her seat and pulls out a few documents. "Thanks to the sheer abruptness of your actions, combined with Wardes' ability to navigate the underworld, you have sown a great deal of chaos and fear into the heart of the movement. The problem is that your actions, while arguably necessary for the safety of both Albion and Tristain, did not solve any of the underlying reasons the rebellion occurred in the first place."

"The discontent with the remnants of the Albion loyalists has not vanished, and infuriatingly enough even some of my own court nobles are seeing this as an opportunity to usurp me, as Tristain was the rebellion's next target." The princess frowns after she says that, her tone making it clear what she thinks about such people. "I need to put an end to that, but since I cannot simply round people up and put them on trial for treason, I must gather evidence and testimonies."

"How would you have us accomplish this, Princess?" Asks Louise, who is at least a little lost on what she can possibly do to help with this.

"In your case, I would have you masquerade as commoners and ideally seek employment at some manner of bar or inn. Places where people come to talk, and can buy liquor to loosen their lips." The Princess gestures with her rod lightly as she speaks for emphasis. "I will not purposely place you in more danger or discomfort than absolutely necessary, which is why most of the heavy lifting in this case will be handled by Wardes and my own Musketeers."

"I was wondering about that, myself." States Joan curiously. "You forming a brand-new group seems like it's a little out of the blue."

"That is because I was the one to suggest it. As it stands, the Princess' overall safety cannot be guaranteed, even with the Griffon Knights acting as her personal guard." Wardes explains plainly, saving Henrietta from needing to answer. "In fact, I have reason to suspect that one or two may even be covert agents for less loyal noble houses."

"And since people without magic are so overlooked, you figured they'd be a nice little surprise." The construct continues while tapping her foot. "I actually like the idea. Magic battles in this world seem to be over pretty fast, so it almost doesn't matter who you throw into the ring. If they can land the hit somehow, a mage will go down."

"Yes, and to this end I have my Musketeers equipped with the best pistols and magic-resistant garb Tristain can produce." Henrietta states proudly, though she seems somewhat uncertain too. "Agnes, if you would be so kind?"

The called-upon Musketeer Captain steps forward and pulls out her pistol, but simply holds it out to be examined.

Joan looks it over with her eyes alone initially, then pauses. "May I take a better look?" Asks the construct.

"I'm not necessarily comfortable with the idea, but as you wish." The captain gives permission.

"Thanks, I won't take long." The construct picks up the flintlock pistol and gives it a once-over. "Well, I'm no firearms expert, but this does look like it'd do pretty well. Thoooough..." She hands the pistol back and pulls out one of her two black copper revolvers. "This'd suit you fine ladies better, I think. A Forgemaster friend of mine's been working on some new designs, and this one's more accurate, packs more of a punch, and even has magic-resistant properties to it. It's easy to reload too."

Agnes frowns lightly. "This is remarkably abrupt of you, and I do not even know your name yet."

"I go by Joan at the moment, and I suppose it is. You've got the job of protecting my boss' friend, which in turn makes you and your Musketeers comrades in arms as far as I'm concerned. If I can help make sure you gals are as well-equipped as possible, I'll pull some strings to do it." The construct seems downright happy with this development so far. "Anyway, I'm sure you've got a million and one questions about me right now, but that's better reserved for when we've got some free time and some booze."

The Captain sighs as she's not completely sure what to make of the newcomer. "I agree. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in learning about someone as armed to the teeth as you are, and why that is."

Louise and Henrietta both look surprised by that statement, and upon seeing her Princess' confusion, Agnes clarifies. "It's subtle, but Joan's clothes and armor have a number of daggers hidden in it, ammunition pockets, two holsters that I can see, someplace to hide a wand, and if I'm not mistaken, you must deal in explosives as well." She looks back to the construct. "Your cloak smells somewhat of black powder."

"Heh, someone passed their perception check with flying colors." Joan smiles widely as she's caught out. "She's completely right, by the way."

"So, uh... I guess Joan and I start when the Magic Academy takes a break for the summer?" Asks Louise as she feels like she's slowly getting swept away by her partner's enthusiasm.

"Essentially, yes. It would not be good to make you miss your classes, as unnecessary as they may be for you." Responds the princess in kind. "Once this is dealt with, I believe I can justify trusting you with the Founder's Prayer Book to everyone else."

"Yes, th-thank you..." The reminder of just what it is Louise is working toward, as well as her friend's consideration of her situation and element causes her to falter slightly.

"Think nothing of it, Louise. You are my friend, and I will do what I can within my power to aid you." Henrietta states her view with conviction.


	46. A Big What-If

Louise can't help but sigh during the carriage ride back to the Academy. She's been keeping up with her studies, though it's practically an open secret that outside of classes and sometimes meals it's up in the air whether she's even present on the Academy grounds or not. Given that her fa- _partner_ has a place to stay where she doesn't feel attacked on all sides, scoffed at, and looked down upon in the slightest and it makes enough sense. Why should she have to put up with schoolyard torment when she can be with people who care about her?

She looks out the window while she considers the fact that the whole 'Louise the Zero' thing died down more than a little when it was made clear just what she had summoned. The fact that she more or less failed to contract with the 'Silver Tyrant' didn't even detract from her accomplishment of summoning it in the first place that much. After all, even then he seemed to like her, and who would mess with someone who regularly gave Karin the Heavy Wind trouble?

"Worried about school?" Asks the construct, who is sitting across from her mistress this time.

"A little. My grades are fine, and though I cannot cast non-Void spells, I understand the underlying logic of the other elements well enough." The pinkette responds almost half-heartedly. "The Academy has no reason to expel me, and you are in a form no one would immediately recognize." She closes her eyes for a moment as she thinks. "Though to be honest, I should have considered the possibility of you accompanying me to class. It might have been better to make you out to be a transfer student rather than a bodyguard."

"Boss, I get what you're saying, but do you really think having me around upstaging you at every turn with conventional magic is going to help you?" Joan tilts her head in confusion as she can't quite follow the youngest daughter's logic. "I mean, you know what I'm like. Big showboater and all."

Louise snaps to attention and makes a small strangled sound when that thought sinks in. "...No, not really."

"Plus, who's gonna mess with a magic knight like me? The student body'll stay off your back, the teachers can't give you any more guff than they're actually allowed to. The situation's..." The construct trails off for a moment as she considers her words. "Okay, to be honest I think even coming back here is a waste... No wait, no it's not."

"What do you mean?" Louise frowns as she wonders why her partner is flip-flopping so much.

"Well, Blake's been curious about whether or not he and I are the only ones who've ever made the jump from Earth to Halkeginia. I can't think for a second that we really are." Joan explains while gesturing, behaving more like her normal form Aoi than the composed magic knight she's supposed to be. "Eleanor made mention of it to my partner, that Osmond would probably know of some out of place artifacts in the school's treasury."

"And what are the importance of these artifacts?" The youngest daughter sounds interested, at least.

"By themselves, probably nothing." Admits the knight. "But the fact of the matter is that the guy who preceded us basically made a blind jump with autonomous scouts, and this world is where they ended up on the first try. A directionless teleport spell is a massively dangerous thing since there is **zero** guarantee that the exit point will lead anywhere safe. Now, I could just chalk that up to chance, but the void between worlds is what's got me puzzled."

"There's space between worlds, but it's populated by sparse matter and other celestial bodies, and it all obeys known scientific 'laws.' If the teleport system carried us through space, there'd be a bunch of twinkling lights all around or something, like the night sky except that's all there is around you." Joan explains further since her charge is remaining quiet. "But this Void between worlds? I might have mentioned it before, or maybe Blake did, but there is literally nothing there. No light, no sound, there's no rules or logic governing that place from what we've been able to glean from it."

"So it might not be natural?" Though a fair few concepts are flying right over the pinkette's head, but she can grasp enough to ask what are hopefully the right questions.

"Define 'natural.'" The knight shrugs in response. "But yeah, at least Blake thinks it might not be natural. I mean, it's awfully convenient." She frowns shortly after saying that, however. "I can't speak for the plethora of other familiars that've been pulled in via the Summoning Ritual, but when you called on me the first time I got pulled through that blank canvas of a space. Considering it's what lets me move between worlds with our already existing gate system, I have to admit that even I'm a bit curious."

"Problem is that as much as we'd love to investigate this thing further, it's kind of on the backburner at the moment for obvious reasons."

"Yet you will most likely take the opportunity to speak to Headmaster Osmond about these artifacts." Louise concludes, not quite entirely buying her partner's last comment.

Joan scratches her cheek in response. "Well, yeah, the guy knows about the contents of the school's treasury. If anyone knows about the kind of artifacts I'd want to learn about, it'd be him."

"So how much of this is for the sake of me going to school, and how much of this is for the sake of you going against your previous statements to indulge your curiosity?" The pinkette crosses her arms, but doesn't seem mad.

"It's a little of column a, a little of column b. ...And really, I get the feeling that this ought to be looked into. I mean, it's just speculation in my head at the moment, but according to the Water Spirit of Ragdorian Lake, your Founder basically caused the Wind Stone crisis." The knight cringes as she explains.

"You don't need to remind me about that." The youngest daughter rubs her forehead as she's reminded of the fact that humanity's supposed savior either unintentionally or intentionally doomed everyone.

"Sorry. It's just that, if your Founder did that and was known to wield the Void, what else could he have done in his time?" Joan leans to the side a bit with a frustrated expression. "We're cleaning up the wind stones, sure, but what if that wasn't the only boneheaded thing he did? Is everything we're doing for naught, and we just don't know it yet?"

Louise simply frowns as she considers this. "Either way, there's no use worrying about even more doomsday scenarios for the moment. Besides, there's no hard evidence that anything worse has transpired."

The construct nods in agreement. "Yup. First Joseph needs to be cleared off the board, and there's no easy way to do that. ...Oh hey, looks like we're almost there."

"Huzzah. I'm really starting to miss gate travel." States the pinkette flatly.

"My lady, it's only been half a day so far!" Joan feels the need to be a bit teasing.

"Shut it, you." Louise grouses a bit half-heartedly.

-

While Louise's cover story of her parents being worried about her safety after coming to blows with the dragon that had been plaguing Tristain for so long is holding, a few people are skeptical about the ability of some no-name mage knight in terms of actually protecting her from what could easily be considered a walking natural disaster. Granted, no one really pried since it isn't their business, but it didn't stop some of the more imaginative students from coming up with their own theories.

Theories that are starting to grate on the pinkette's nerves a little. On top of them still referring to her as Louise the Zero.

"Urge to explode them all, rising..." Louise mutters under her breath as she walks to her next class. Thankfully it's run by Professor Colbert, one of the few faculty members who the youngest Valliere daughter can actually stand. Since her summoned 'familiar' has a known element but an unknown element to go with it, her curriculum remains quite diverse since she cannot specialize.

"Mistress, while I can sympathize with your plight, I do not think I can adequately protect you from every single person in this facility should you start exploding them." Joan seems somewhat nervous about her partner's disposition, as it's been a while since the young woman has been in so fowl a mood.

"You should be protecting them from _me_ if I start doing that." Grouses the pinkette. "Honestly, how many people think I'm interested in others of my own gender, let alone depraved enough to hire on a bodyguard explicitly for indecent reasons?!"

"Oh my, at the rate this is going I may have to oblige the rivalry between our families and take you for myself." An amused Kirche joins in not long afterward, immediately prodding at Louise as she does so.

"Oh great, just who I want to see. Don't you have anything better to do than harass me?" The youngest daughter spares the Zerbst a glance before looking away.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I could start asking about silver-haired boyfriend of yours." The redhead's expression slowly shifts to one that could be best described as 'shit-eating' as she shifts the topic to something arguably equally uncomfortable.

"Don't even _think_ about it." Spits Louise as she spots the classroom door. "Besides, my older sister is interested in him, and I'd be perfectly happy to let her have him so she can enjoy life for once."

Kirche simply raises an eyebrow in response to that, either being surprised by that answer or interested. Sometimes it's hard to tell which one it is. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. Personally I'm just happy to see that my rival seems to have learned how to temper her fire a bit better. It's more fun that way."

"...Waaaaait. You... argh, of course. I almost forgot, you were at that resort too, weren't you." Less a question and more of a statement, Louise scowls as she remembers that while the Germanian was mostly out of the way, she did in fact show up.

"Of course! My best friend went there, and naturally I followed suit to support her." Kirche smiles proudly as she reaches the classroom door first. "...Also, thank that silver vagabond of yours for me when you get the chance. Tabitha's genuinely happy lately because of him, and she's been sleeping more soundly too."

It takes the pinkette most of her willpower to not look at Joan questioningly. "You're saying things like that on purpose, aren't you."

"Maybe, though I have to admit you're not exploding like you used to. Though just to be clear, dear Tabitha hasn't gotten that lucky with him yet, unfortunately. It'd do her a world of good if she did." Kirche saunters up to the door, throws it open... then quickly slides through before Louise can come after her.

"Tch. The Zerbst bitch is fast when she wants to be." Louise walks into the classroom as well, with her construct partner simply sighing and shaking her head. "I swear, she only thinks with what's between her legs sometimes."

-

Professor Colbert's lesson is definitely unusual for a Fire element class, as the man seems less interested in the destructive uses of fire and more interested in how it can be used to benefit others. As a result, and much to most of the class' annoyance, he's busy demonstrating one of his machines. A simple engine that uses a small flame to cause a 'happy snake' to pop out of a box by igniting fuel in a controlled manner. At first glance, it's simply a toy, but those more savvy might guess that it's more along the lines of a tech demo, with Colbert likely making rapid progress.

His enthusiasm isn't even dampened by the atmosphere in the class, though it helps that Louise in particular is actually paying rapt attention. Kirche's interest is mild, but also present. After all, the two have seen Blake's automatons in action before, and while this is nowhere near that level of complexity or power it is none the less a concept they understand. Joan is simply keeping off to the side and watching silently, but approvingly.

That being said, since the pinkette wasn't called upon to demonstrate the device and how to operate it, and Kirche jumping up to volunteer before Colbert could even ask, the lesson ended without incident. Though perhaps it helps that the professor seems to have some idea of Louise's abilities already, given his research in regards to the Void Familiar runes.

"Professor?" The pinkette waited until class was over before speaking up, as Colbert is still packing up his machine.

"Yes, Ms. Valliere?" The professor's attention is pretty evenly split at this point, though he's still being careful with his contraption.

"Is it possible to arrange a meeting with the Headmaster soon?" While it is a bit of a risk to just come right out and start asking questions like that, Louise is at least partially unconcerned about that.

"Certainly! I take it that this has to do with your element?" Colbert, to his credit, is quick to gauge the actual reason for her asking the question, and manages to phrase it carefully enough.

"It does. I think I've made some progress on it, and as a result am not sure what kind of curriculum I actually need." The youngest daughter states equally carefully.

The professor nods knowingly in response. "Alright, let me get this back down to my lab, then I'll see if he's free. Feel free to follow me, if you wish!"

"May as well, mistress. The sooner we get on with this, the better." The magic knight speaks up for the first time in a little while.

"You just want to look at what else the professor might have made." Says the pinkette, though she seems slightly amused.

"Maybe." Admits the knight.


	47. Stop One, Another Starts

While the pinkette and her knight are busy with the prelude to a no doubt gripping conversation with a man who alternates between being a genius and senile, a certain ex-noble is busy relaxing in one of the many bars in the city of Tristain. Matilda made sure that Blake didn't need her assistance for the next few days at least so that she didn't need to worry about him or her family while she's off doing her thing. That thing being keeping an open ear out for anything out of the ordinary.

Wardes' plan of forming a more covert group of fighters and investigators of intrigue for the Tristain princess is a sound one, but the princess' desire to use her best friend to help with this isn't quite as logical. At least from a pure covert ops standpoint. The pinkette isn't well-versed in subtlety and Aoi's idea of stealth seems to be 'try to be less obnoxious than usual.' The two are better suited for when things go south and heavy spellpower is needed to resolve things.

In truth, from what Wardes said it has more to do with the fact that Henrietta needs to be able to justify handing off a holy artifact to her best friend in order to help the pinkette progress as a Void mage. Which in turn will allow Tiffania to progress as well, since the half-elf and the youngest Valliere daughter do seem to get along alright. It helps that Tiffania is such a sweet girl. Most people who aren't heartless bastards or otherwise blinded by hate or prejudice can be swayed by her eventually.

All of that aside, it dosen't change the fact that Louise has a fair bit of time to go before she can officially join in, and rooting out dissent can't wait for that.

Not that Matilda really cares about what happens to Tristain as a nation. It's not her homeland, and as such she is under no obligation to aid in its protection. It has more to do with the fact that it's an open secret that Tristain is teetering on a knife's edge when it comes to international relations. Aoi's brazen actions resolved Albion's rebellion problem so quickly and neatly that the floating nation is well on its way to a new era of peace and stability, but its military is a mess from the upheaval and leaders have to be assigned and given roles. King Wales, rather, the old man's son and her former fiance, is managing this well enough.

She takes in the inane chatter around her while trying to keep an open ear out for anything out of the ordinary. Among the chatter is talk about the influx of refugees. That's another point the earth mage is actually fine with. It'd take a bit longer before every one of them can go home, but it wouldn't be too much longer before Albion's air fleet is ready to pick them up. The floating nation is still well within reach of Tristain, so it'd just take a few airships and they'd be done inside a day.

The problem is, the dragon's antics had also caught the attention of pretty much everyone. Germania simply doesn't care that much since they weren't really keeping tabs on Albion, but Gallia knows full well that he was involved since Sheffield fought him, and it wouldn't take much for someone to put two and two together and assume he was there on someone's behalf. There's little logical reason to assume that Tristain had anything to do with it, but he struck when Louise and Wardes were talking with Prince Wales. If anyone spun it that way, they'd be grasping at sticks, but it'd likely be just enough kindling to spark a war with.

Hence why she's even here in the first place. Knowing the luck she's had so far, she'd stumble on a Gallian contact speaking with one of the less loyal Tristain families here. Either that, or one of the Musketeers would.

One of the waitresses approaches her. "Miss, a table in the private section just opened up. Are you still interested?" She's polite about the whole thing, clearly a model waitress.

"I am. Thank you." Matilda keeps her response short and follows said waitress.

While she referred to it as a 'private section,' the fact of the matter is that this particular bar just happens to have a large side-room where everyone's supposed to be more discreet and quiet rather than the boisterous antics of those in the main seating area. It helps that each table is also cordoned off from the rest, giving its diners some measure of privacy. It's also better spot to listen for discreet conversations if one knows how.

"Here you are, miss. Can I interest you in anything to drink while you wait?" The young woman is somewhat stiff though, not because she'd rather not be here so much as she comes off as being a bit new to the job.

"A cup of mint tea, if you've got it." Replies the ex-noble.

"I'll be back with it shortly." The waitress bows, and uses the opportunity to get in a bit closer. " _I think I picked up something of interest five tables away from you. It might be a Germanian contact._ " She speaks quietly to Matilda's ear while she has the opportunity.

"Thanks." The earth mage isn't sure whether to smile or frown at this after she responds politely to both statements at once. Gallia is one thing, Albion's a non-issue, Romalia's tentatively allied with the outsider duo, but Germania? Its king is supposed to enter into an arranged marriage with Princess Tristain not too long from now, and so far as she knows the princess has done nothing to offend.

Supposedly the Pope smoothed things over with Germania for Blake as well, so that should be... _less_ of an issue, at least. Key word being 'supposedly.' Who knows what those people think about all this.

Matilda casts a spell under her breath, and tries to focus on this supposed conversation going on while she has the chance. At the very least, no one would suspect that an Earth mage would be able to eavesdrop so easily.

-

Osmond strokes his beard pensively as he considers the Valliere and the knight before her. "You are indeed not the first to come from another world, Mr. Aoi. I can confirm that myself." As much as he might have liked to mess around with the duo for a little while, the fact of the matter is that one's a Void mage and the other is a bona-fida dragon who would probably flatten him and most of the school if he got on its nerves too much. "A long time ago, I was rescued from certain death by a most unusual individual. His dress and manner of speech gave me the impression that he is from no known place on Halkeginia."

"The weapon he used, what we call the Staff of Destruction, is located inside the Academy's vaults, under lock and key. I suspect that it may be proof of your theory."

"Well, if possible I'd like to take a look at it myself." Joan hasn't changed back to her normal form, instead opting to keep this one for the time being. It will save her a bit of effort once she and Louise need to leave.

"Hm..." The headmaster thinks about it for a moment. "This is not something I'd give permission for lightly. The Staff of Destruction is named aptly, and on top of that there are numerous other objects in the vault that are either dangerous or valuable."

"Seriously?" Asks the knight flatly with one hand on her hip. "You think I'm that much of a loose cannon?"

"The last time you were here, it ended with you doing considerable damage to the school." The Headmaster points out.

"Blame Karin for starting it and being so tough." The knight retorts.

"Sir Osmond, Aoi is the Gandalfr and he's raising a good point. Why refrain?" Asks Colbert, who has otherwise kept off to the side.

"It's not like I'm asking to keep it, either. If I need a weapon _that_ bad, I can just ask Blake to make me something." All in all, the stalling is actually managing to annoy the construct somewhat.

"Very well." Osmond rises from his chair and collects his mouse familiar. "I will take you to the vault myself. I also am simply weighing my options in regards to this. I would prefer to avoid drawing more attention to us than necessary. The court nobles will only buy my senile act so many times before they call my bluff on it."

"As far as anyone knows, I'm just some sellsword." Joan frowns in response to that line.

"...It's probably because anyone who investigates you might wind up being led here." Louise finally speaks up after letting her partner handle things so far. "You're still an enemy of the Mad King, and we know he has people who can work covertly."

"Indeed. While I do not doubt Colby and I's ability to defend ourselves or the students, many of the other professors are... _lax_ in their duties." Osmond expands on the pinkette's point. "I know full well that many of them are not doing their nightly patrols, but I have let it slide purely because we have not had to deal with any true external threats for so long." The headmaster motions for those present to follow him. "Like you, Aoi, we cannot be everywhere at once."

"Fair enough. This is kinda just me indulging my curiosity at this point anyway, so I guess I can see why you'd think it's not necessary." The construct relents, though the headmaster doesn't stop.

"Not necessary? Far from it. It is simply a mystery better solved when outright war isn't a distinct possibility." The headmaster points out.

"War? Do you really think it would come to that?" Colbert frowns as he considers the possibility.

"It is a possibility, and one that I have tried to keep myself informed about." Osmond states as he takes another turn. "One would think that nation leaders would understand that Tristain has been hit the hardest of all the Brimiric nations, and the least likely to ally with its attacker, but there is always some excuse after a while. Additionally, the princess' position on the throne has weakened somewhat lately."

"What?" The pinkette gasps out. "She hasn't done anything wrong!"

Professor Colbert thinks about it before responding. "Well, I haven't made a point of keeping myself as informed as Sir Osmond, I can guess why. I'm not saying it as an accusation, but I think you've destabilized this nation a fair bit, Aoi."

"Oh, for crying out loud. It's always gotta trace straight back to me, doesn't it?" Joan facepalms when she hears that. "The court nobles need to pull their heads out of their-"

The construct is interrupted by her partner. "I know. They're just vultures taking advantage of the situation." She then looks to the headmaster and professor. "But Henrietta's also handling things well enough!"

"True, but it doesn't change the fact that the nobility looks to her when times are tough, and eight months of constant attacks from an unknown enemy force, coupled with that disaster of a court session later, has humiliated every member of the nobility who has a hand in our government." Osmond provides his own insight in response. "Since she is the face of our nation, I imagine that this incident has placed a great deal of pressure on her to resolve it in a way that will satisfy everyone."

"Aoi's practically a walking natural disaster!" Louise exclaims in frustration. "How is anyone realistically supposed to stop that?"

Joan manages to look unbelievably smug about that.

"Sometimes, people would rather focus on the fact that a task was not done with no regards as to whether or not it _could_ be done." The headmaster says grimly.

"Feh. It doesn't matter who they put in power. If I have to harass every single possible king or queen they toss onto the throne just to prove the point, I can and probably will." Joan's tone and mannerisms have shifted back to that of Aoi's, and notably it seems like she's already set up a silencing spell around the area.

"I am afraid that would only lead to escalation, Aoi. The best thing to do would be to reinforce her position before any of that is necessary." The headmaster comes to a stop at a seemingly random wall. "Here it is."

A few moments later and a doorway reveals itself, with everyone heading through it before it seemingly vanishes behind them.

The vault itself is quite well organized, with various artifacts, books, and weapons all neatly organized and as well labeled as anyone can manage in such a place. There is no natural light coming in, but there are a few magelights that activated when the quartet entered.

"Can't really do that unless I take out Joseph, and he's pretty well protected." The construct points out while shrugging. "I mean, I know he has at least one elf, one Void familar, access to Void spells of his own, and arguably the best military the Brimiric nations have to offer, who knows what kind of private experiments, and one really shrewd mind. It's a tall order to bust through all of that, even for me."

"Hmph. I still cannot believe that he would stoop so low as to ally with the elves." It does sound as though Osmond is in disbelief on the matter as he shakes his head. "The Pope could easily condemn the man in a day if he knew."

"Vittorio? He does know. Problem is he wants to make sure that every other nation is allied and ready to fight before taking that plunge." The construct points out something the headmaster wouldn't realistically know.

"A wise course of action." The headmaster agrees as the conversation starts to die off for the time being.


	48. Two For One Special

All in all, the brief tour of the vault only took a few minutes. Joan wasn't that interested in the rocket launcher in and of itself outside of how out of place it is, and knows how to get there now that she's seen it. ...Which coincidentally is likely the other unspoken reason as to why Osmond didn't want her getting into the vault. With her abilities, it would be trivial for her to empty the whole thing in minutes, seeing as the defenses present on the vault were never meant to be bypassed the way she does it.

With that done and over with, Louise and her knight move to the former's next class. Colbert catches up with them in short order, however. "Ah, good, you're still here!"

"What is it, professor?" Asks the pinkette.

"There is another lead you might want to pursue when you have the time. The man who saved Osmond's life all those years ago moved to a village called Tabres to settle down and have a family. There's supposed to be another machine there that's even more impressive than the one Osmond has in the vault." The professor speaks excitedly as he lets them know of another objective. "Presumably, this one can fly without the use of magic!"

"Thanks, prof. This whole thing might just lead somewhere interesting by the end of it." Joan nods with a small smile.

"You're quite welcome. Though come to think of it, why are you disguised that way?" Colbert's eyebrows furrow in thought as he tries to piece together the knight's train of logic again.

"Well, everyone's looking for a dashing young man, right? Why not play the role of a young woman instead?" The knight seems a bit too smug about that.

"I still think that's absolutely ridiculous." Louise states flatly.

"Ridiculous or no, it makes enough sense. Even some water mages will go that far if necessary." Colbert adds in.

"See? I told you it was a good idea." Joan looks to her partner happily.

The pinkette simply groans as she starts walking toward her next class again. The knight waves goodbye to the professor, who in turn shakes his head in amusement and parts ways with them.

-

Matilda finds herself in utter disbelief in what she's found out. While it wasn't the sort of back-door skullduggery she was expecting, the conversation between the Germanian and the Tristain merchant had given her some rather unbelievable material to work with. Namely the fact that the former was trying to convince the latter to leave with him based on some rumors that had come down the grapevine. Something about a pending Germanian invasion...

But Germania has no real reason to invade. Not unless they can outright prove that Aoi and the Tristain nobility are allies.

Feeling a touch nervous, the earth mage beats a subtle yet hasty retreat to report on what she's found.

-

Henrietta is once again doing nothing more than sorting out a million and one documents, requests, laws pending approval or editing, and other such mind-numbing tedium. Cardinal Mazarin is helping out where he can in this case since it seems like the nobility is going out of its way to flood her with more than she can realistically handle, but even he cannot be expected to clear everything off the desk officially by himself. Her mother certainly isn't helping either, a fact that the young princess is starting to resent given how much grief the position is giving her.

She misses her father just as much as her mother misses her husband, yet between the two only the former is doing anything notable. Her mother handed the throne off to her, feeling that the young Henrietta is more than capable of handling it despite her relatively young age, incomplete training, and complete lack of experience. Her first major trial in dealing with Aoi has more or less been a total failure, and the only reason she's not dealing with Albion is because that same construct has seen fit to help her dodge that fireball.

Ironically, that same dragon in turn has inadvertently given the nobility the idea that she is somehow in collaboration with it, and thus that she must be responsible for nearly a year's worth of damage and terror against her people as well as her inability to stop it. Hence the increased amount of paperwork lately.

The fact that it gives these same self-absorbed nobles nice, huge openings to discuss among themselves must be a nice perk for them as well. Even with her Musketeers, Wardes, and a couple other convenient yet skilled individuals working with her, she has so much to take care of that she can scarcely take the time to hear them out completely, let alone do anything to act on their reports.

Her marriage with King... no, Emperor Albrecht the Third is on her mind as well. As much as she may deplore the man, the truth of the matter is that her personal preferences simply do not matter here. Tristain needs more allies, especially if the Mad King is looking for any possible weaknesses to pounce on. With Albion still reeling from the Reconquista rebellion, and Romalia simply not being in a good geographical position to come to the aid of the small nation, Tristain has little in the way of support.

Her sacrificing herself for the sake of the nation may win over a few of the more doubtful noble families, and alienate a few others more, but all would consider it a good move on her part. With a more experienced ruler on hand, and one ruthless enough to be rather... _direct_ with dissenters no less, it should be easy enough to get the corrupt nobility under control and hopefully unify the nation long before anyone needs to act.

The princess slumps forward slightly, her back aching some from all the sitting around she's had to do lately. "I need a break..." She utters to herself as she scoots her chair back and rises up.  
 _  
Break? More like a vacation._ She thinks to herself as she paces her office some to help get the feeling in her legs back.

She then hears a knock at the door. "Who is it?" She asks, knowing that she has no scheduled visitors at this hour.

"I am a royal messenger of Gallia, who comes bearing a message from its King." A mature woman's voice answers.

Right before a small explosion all but knocks the door off its hinges. The princess jumps back slightly and readies her scepter in case the messenger turns out to be hostile.

"My apologies, that was quite rude of me, Mind of God." States the now quite familiar voice of Blake. "But the princess is no doubt quite busy, and does not need to be bothered by people such as you."

"I really wasn't here to pick a fight or do anything untoward, Heart of God. My master wishes for the princess to be alive and well." Sheffield replies calmly, though there is now a slight edge to her voice. "I am simply here to deliver these messages."

The dust clears just enough for Henrietta to see that Blake appears to be barring the doorway casually. Not wanting to make herself an easy target, she keeps her distance from the doorway.

"Pardon me if I don't quite buy that. After all, you were actively taunting me about proof right before you got here." Blake states with his arms crossed.

"Indeed. Your stupid partner should have thought things through a bit better. After all, neither of us should have been at Albion." Sheffield can be seen just beyond him with her mouth curled into a cruel smile. "If you _insist_ , however, I'll leave these to you. They are curse-free, hex-free, trap-free, and quite harmless. They're just polite warnings, after all."

The steampunk mage takes the two letters and begins walking into Henrietta's office without so much as a word. Sheffield, however, seems content to stay where she is. The mage looks back to the Mind of God. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"What, and miss the little princess' reaction? I wouldn't dream of it." Sheffield puts a hand to her chin as she observes the nervous princess.

Blake breaks the official seals on both letters, and begins to read them personally with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Oh, now that's just rude. Reading someone else's mail? I thought the elusive mage was a better man than that." Sheffield scoffs in a mocking way before stepping in herself. "Well, I suppose I could just tell you, little princess. King Joseph has enough evidence to justify going to war with you now, you silly little dragon sympathizer."

"You're grasping at straws, you miserable bat." Blake responds sharply while turning around to face the unwanted guest. "He was always just looking for some little excuse, though I suspect that he wouldn't even need _that_ much."

"True, true, master is quite the capricious man. He follows his heart... but not blindly." The mind of god's smile could not be wider as she continues. "He's been wanting to lash out at Tristain for quite some time, but he wants this grand act to be a little more complete. A little more thorough. In order to do that, this nation has to fall just as hard."

"What do you mean?" Asks Henrietta with no small amount of caution.

"Just let her read that barbarian king's letter, you spoilsport." Sheffield's smile falters just slightly when looking at Blake, who in turn sighs and hands the letter off to Henrietta.

The young princess' face blanches as she reads the letter. "...What?" Her voice is shaky as she reaches the end.

"I loved the part where he said he'd never forgive you for making a lover out of the dragon who's been causing him so many problems, and wipe you and your nation off the map." Sheffield sighs happily as she recalls that memory. "Well, I've done my job. Have fun fighting two wars, little fledgling~"

"That's a complete fabrication!" Henrietta yells as she clenches the offending declaration of war in her hands. "What has the Mad King done?!"

"He's set things up just to see how you'd _break_." Sheffield replies as she walks off as if she owned the place. "Oh yes, your little guard was cute too. Shame they're mostly permanently indisposed now."

The princess can't decide whether to be angry or horrified at how casually the Mind of God is throwing out these comments.

"I'm quite tempted to call in Aoi to help me finish you off now, wretch." Blake's tone is as calm as ever, but there is a clear undercurrent of aggravation too.

"Little ol' me? I'm honored that you think it would take two Void familiars to defeat me, but really, you have more important things to take care of." Joseph's servant keeps on walking, with her giving a dismissive wave behind her. "Like the prototype of our newest toy." She then points to her side.

The wall to the construct and the princess' left all but collapses as a massive golem smashes through. Parts of its body appear to be smeared with blood, and the limp body of a dead defender dangles from one of its hands before it's tossed aside. In the time it takes for the both of them to recognize the new threat, Sheffield has already vanished.

"How... how did it even get in without us knowing?!" Henrietta's voice cracks as the massive golem bears down on both her and Blake.

The steampunk mage simply shoves her through a portal in response, prioritizing her safety over anything else at the moment. "Obnoxious little bastard... They won't even get scrap from you by the time I'm done. **Gatekeeper!** "

A portal opens up beneath the golem, dropping it through, with the steampunk mage following soon after.


	49. Magitech Demo

The golem lands on the sand inelegantly and takes a few moments to pick itself up out of the dirt. It isn't capable of appreciating or understanding its surroundings beyond the fact that there was a sudden and abrupt change and that it is no longer receiving orders. A growing 'hunger' of sorts pervades its thoughts as it scans the environment for anything magical to consume to keep its own energy reserves up, and immediately notes that its first snack choice appears to have followed it to this bizarre place. A humanoid with such great potential that to the golem it glows with the very sort of power needed to sustain it.

The humanoid touches down on the sand after a few moments, and begins chanting something.

The golem rushes forward, eager to fulfill its duty.

The humanoid suddenly causes a strange purplish flame to erupt around him with great enough force that it halts the golem in its tracks. The fire reaches high up, far higher than the golem is tall. After a few moments, the flames die down and a strange draconic serpent has taken the place of the humanoid. To the golem, there is no doubt that the two are one and the same, and the change in its form is irrelevant. It charges again.

-

Skogeazo bares its fangs and roars defiantly before taking its armored head and smashing it against the offending golem. The construct is sent flying backwards from the force, yet it doesn't lose its balance as it rights itself.

[MASTER BLAKE, IT APPEARS YOUR FORM IS STABLE.] The Gatekeeper's voice addresses the construct as it rushes forward to deliver another blow. [SHALL I RENDER ASSISTANCE?]

"Unnecessary." The Dark Earth Construct hisses before it unleashes a torrent of strange, rosewood flame at the enemy golem. Though it is not impeded much, it's clear that whatever protections it has aren't quite enough to deal with the attack.

The golem's retaliatory strike to the serpent dragon's head hits home, but the sheer durability of the blackish-bronze armor means that it barely took any damage. It attempts to press its advantage and continue smashing at its target only to realize too late that its opponent has one simple advantage that it hadn't paid enough attention to.

That this snake just so happens to have functioning arms and claws.

The construct grabs the golem by the middle, hampered by the enemy flailing about as much as possible to try to get free, and proceeds to toss it over its head and smash it into the sand slightly. While the golem is trying to pull itself out, Skogeazo unleashes another torrent of fire that melts the sand around the golem and superheats the golem itself to make it lose its handhold in the sand. It then uses its tail to slam its victim into the ground harder, over and over until it's little more than a pair of legs flailing around above the ground.

"Impressive defenses. Shame that it does not protect against impairment." The dragon-serpent growls as it circles the construct's legs, then moves in to constrict them with its powerful body. The serpent's natural armor starts crushing the golem's legs, though at first there's no visible effect. It takes a few minutes for the golem's own defenses to fail completely, and a bit more for the golem's legs to be mangled into scrap.

[THAT DID NOT TAKE LONG.] Comments the Gatekeeper.

"I did not expect it to." The serpent unwinds from its target and bites down onto the legs before ripping the whole thing free from the ground. The golem is still flailing its arms, but that lasts only a few more moments before Skogeazo grabs hold of said arms and rips them off. The softened metal gives out easier than it would have under any other circumstances, stretching and distending before finally pulling free. "Take the arms as samples. This black metal may prove useful to us."

[YES, MASTER BLAKE.] The Gatekeeper forms a portal under each inanimate arm and removes them from the field of play. [I PRESUME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WORK OUT YOUR FRUSTRATIONS ON THE REMAINS?]

"There is no point. A construct like this cannot feel fear or remorse." The serpent-dragon growls as it pins the amputated golem to the ground and blasts it point-blank with its flames again, letting its magical fire soften up the enemy construct before biting its head clean off.

For a few minutes, there is nothing but the sound of an irate serpent-dragon feeding on the slowly deactivating and semi-molten remains of a once deadly golem.

-

[THAT WAS MILDLY DISTURBING, IN ALL HONESTY.] The Gatekeeper walks alongside Blake as the latter moves to meet up with Henrietta.

"I am not human, and as such am not required to act like one if it would be inappropriate to do so." Blake responds calmly with his hands behind his back.

[BUT SEMI-MELTING IT AND EATING IT?] Despite not being designed to express itself well, the guardian manages to seem somewhat appalled. [YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT'S BEEN.]

"Slaughtering its way through who knows how many people, most likely. That being said, this is more or less the second-worst scenario. The princess is simply not safe in her own castle anymore." Blake muses as he takes another turn.

[AND NATURALLY SHE CANNOT SIMPLY RELOCATE HERE.] The Gatekeeper finishes that thought since it's the obvious conclusion to draw. [THIS WILL ALSO IMPEDE YOUR MEDICAL EFFORTS.]

"I know." The steampunk mage closes his eyes. Cattleya's freedom does depend on him, and he gave his word. "I'll give Joseph credit. The bastard knows how to strike at an inconvenient time for us. Not to mention that we can't just halt everything to build a military. It'd be too little, too late at this stage."

[THE CONSTRUCTION OF GUARDIAN UNIT MAXWELL IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, JUST SO YOU KNOW.] The guardian notes offhandedly.

"Good. It's not enough, but it's a start. That aside, tell the Analysts to start work on the recovered scraps immediately. I want to know what we're dealing with and whether or not I can adapt it into my designs." The construct begins rattling off orders now that his mind is on point. "Also, try to recall as many of our allies as possible. We need to assess the scenario and see what we can do with it."

[UNDERSTOOD, MASTER BLAKE.] The guardian generates a portal and steps through to act on its orders.

The steampunk mage steps through a portal of his own to meet up with the Princess sooner.

-

"Both Uncle and Germania?" Charlotte's eyes are wide with shock as she reads the declarations of war. They soon narrow, however. "...Uncle must be trying to accomplish something. He rarely does something without reason."

"I can't even begin to speculate what or why. I did not think he would go so far as to fabricate reasons to attack us, let alone bait another into joining him." Henrietta is sitting slumped in a chair, unable to fully process the dire situation her country has just been placed in. "Tristain can't win like this."

Eleanor's brows are furrowed in thought. "As much as I hate to agree, I'm not sure how we're supposed to be able to win this. If it were one army, then I'm sure that between what Albion can send us as support and both Blake and that bastard dragon we could scrape by. Gallia and Germania combined can literally just throw bodies at us until we're all exhausted."

"Good news, everyone. It turns out that Sheffield's pet project can easily be destroyed." Blake steps into the room via portal and makes himself known.

"Easily destroyed by a gigantic snake dragon, you mean." States Eleanor dryly as she looks to her peer. "The Gatekeeper let me see the show."

"Well, it can be destroyed, at least. On top of that I saved out some of the metal that makes up its body to determine what weaknesses it has, if any." Blake seats himself next to the eldest Valliere daughter. "Meanwhile, I take it from the glum faces that taking on two armies simultaneously is a difficult prospect."

"Try impossible. Tristain as a whole has bulked up its military some, and we do have the highest mage to commoner ratio in all of Halkeginia, but fact of the matter is that we're outnumbered and outspelled. This is before adding in any factors like possible elven support for Gallia's side." The eldest daughter shifts her seat and scoots closer to the nearby table. "Albion's still getting itself organized and integrating Reconquista remnants into its new system, but that could take anywhere from weeks to months to sort out."

"...I can't help." Charlotte looks downcast as she speaks. "I've only ever dealt in covert operations."

"It's fine, Princess de Gallia." Eleanor spares the young princess a small, understanding smile. "I think we're all out of our depth here. I need to contact mother and father, since they're better versed in war than I."

"Please do, Professor. I shall try to call together the loyal families and see what we can do." Henrietta looks to the eldest Valliere daughter, though she does not look confident. "I will also speak to Cardinal Mazarin on the matter, though I suspect that he will not wish for me to remain at the castle now that it has been breached so easily."

"Uncle may be trying to scare you out of your throne, too. If you're not there, Tristain's defense would be weaker." Charlotte points out.

"I know, and I will not yield to such cowardly tactics." The Tristain Princess frowns as she considers the point.

"Sheffield did mention that Joseph only wants you alive. She didn't say anything about either side not taking non-lethal potshots at you." Blake gestures as he points out one other possibility. "Given the golem's appearance, we can't rule out kidnapping as a possibility."

"Uncle is cruel enough." The Gallian princess interjects.

Henrietta leans forward and supports her head with her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore... Father would have been able to rally a defense capable of holding the line until help arrives. Albion may need time but it still has the strongest air fleet in all of Halkeginia. Romalia will answer our call for aid, and it is nearly as strong as Gallia's military."

"Except Romalia has to cut through Gallia to even reach Tristain." Charlotte points out.

"That is true. Even a token defense force would slow down an army a little. Add enough of those up and Romalia could be stalled for quite some time." Blake rubs his chin in thought. "We might be able to bypass that and gate them in, but in all honesty we've never had to hold open a gate long enough for a standing army to march through before."

"Can you reuse your old mines to help somehow?" Asks Eleanor tentatively.

"Possibly, but aside from support structures to prevent collapse they're not exactly fortifications." Blake taps a finger on the table's top as he thinks. "I think I need to ask Aoi to run some errands. I know he has a lead on something interesting, but it is of no use to us at the moment."

"Indeed. I do not believe that we can get anywhere like this. Let us part ways and reconvene at a later time." Henrietta gets up from her seat and looks to Blake. "If it is possible, Mr. Blake, I would like an escort when I go back to the castle."

"I can work something out, your Highness, but the Gatekeeper, Aoi, and I are the only three high-power units in our operation. We never anticipated needing more than that." Blake admits in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

"Louise should be kept here for the time being." Eleanor states suddenly. "We can't count on the enemy not knowing of her status as a Void mage, and I'd prefer that she be kept away from all of this. Aoi would be freed up to watch over Henrietta."

"She won't like it, but I'll see what I can do." States the steampunk mage.

With that, the four individuals move on to work on their respective tasks.


	50. Too Much Too Soon

Henrietta could not feel worse about her current predicament. Not only are there two armies due to bear down on her small nation in less than a week, she has to try and rally a defense in that same timeframe while also juggling the possibility of evacuation. She sent out messages to every single major noble family but knows full well it will take anywhere from hours to days before she can get a response one way or the other. She is on edge, and unlike every single other time anyone within the palace has ever seen her, it practically written all over her face.

Cardinal Mazarin even went so far as to recommend that she keep some of strongest, most staunch defenders close by in the event that someone makes another attempt on her. This is something the princess is thankful for since it saves her from having to make the call herself and no doubt getting criticized to all Hel by her detractors. A number of magic knights and musketeers alike are present in her office with her, and more are actively standing guard over the doors and patrolling the perimeter. As much as she would like to say that this is helping her nerves, she has to recall the golem attack just a scant few hours prior.

She hadn't missed how easily it tore down her palace's walls, nor the bloodstains on its body or the broken bodies lying in its wake. In the princess' mind, this measure is little more than a false reassurance that perhaps, should someone launch another attack of such caliber, that perhaps someone might be able to help get her away in time.

Though Henrietta has to admit, with Joan nearby and knowing who she actually _is_...

She shakes her head slightly. No, not even then. At most her friend's partner would be able to ensure her safety, perhaps save a few of the people around her. Neither of them hold any illusions about the destructive power of their strongest enemies, and that in truth the construct could not afford to defend another while fighting.

"There, finished." The princess signs and seals an envelope she had been working on. "Now to send this along." She hands it off to Joan, who in turn pockets it. Unbeknownst to the others present, the construct just passed said message along via portal. "That should cover the formal request for Albion to aid us, though in all honesty it may take days for them to render assistance, assuming they can at all."

No one can offer an honest word of reassurance in response. It has not even been two weeks since the Reconquista was crushed and its remains working with the remains of the old Albion government to form something capable of governing their land. In a more ideal world, the other Brimiric nations would be rendering assistance to them, not the other way around.

"Princess, we have a number of reports." Wardes has made his way into the room with Matilda close on his heels. "It seems as though at least one of the major families is considering simply abandoning the nation entirely."

" **What?!** They... why?" Henrietta's expression goes from worry to outright panic in a flash. Each major noble family beholden to Tristain has at least some military might upon which they can call upon in times of crisis, so each major family that chooses not to contribute is a massive blow to any defensive effort. "Do they not understand the gravity of the situation? Do they think they will be spared by our enemies if they flee?"

"They're facing annihilation, same as everyone else in this nation. I wouldn't expect them all to accept it gracefully." Joan frowns and crosses her arms.

Wardes looks to the construct. "It is not that simple. If the cause is just, many of our own will gladly meet their end on the battlefield. For them to abandon glory and honor like this... these times must truly be desperate."

Matilda can't help but grimace slightly in response to all this, considering her own past. "We do know which one it is. It's the Fontaines. Apparently they have good small-scale trade relations with a Germanian family that tipped them off about the upcoming war before you were given proper notice, your Highness."

Henrietta rubs her face in exasperation. "I suppose I do not have to worry about the the Minister of Finances anymore... I suppose they are already moving to leave?"

"I don't know how long it would take for the message to reach the entire family, let alone convince them all, then pack up and leave on top of that, so I can't tell you anything concrete." The earth mage points out.

The princess grits her teeth as she tries to come up with something usable from all that, but nothing is forthcoming. "Are there any others entertaining ideas of fleeing?"

"It is hard to say. It appears that Gallia may be sowing discord among the populace as well. Given how easy it was for their messenger to break into the palace, it would not surprise me if King Joseph has sent spies out to weaken our already fragile position." The Viscount chimes in with his two cents on the matter. "Additionally, just because they have given you prior warning does not mean that they will honor their word either."

"I have absolutely no doubts about that, Viscount. Joseph is already a traitor to the Brimiric nations as a whole, and an unpredictable one at that." Henrietta begins to pace in front of her desk in an effort to focus her thoughts. "Ideally I would simply call on Aoi to gather up representatives of the remaining families, but he is already invested in my personal defense."

"Smart move. If either king is smart, they'd figure out how to get rid of you first so there'd be no way to mount a coordinated effort of any kind." Matilda finds a wall to lean against, half to relax and half to keep an ear out for incoming trouble. She then looks around a bit before sighing. "Well, cat's out of the bag one way or the other. Blake's just as capable of doing that."

"He's kinda preoccupied trying to get a decent number of combat units ready so you won't be completely outmanned when the time comes." Joan points out something the others would not have known. "Much as I hate to admit it, unless we can stash you someplace that's actually safe, we can't just whisk anyone away for a meeting."

"Which would make it look as though her Highness has fled, further damaging morale and splintering any efforts we may make." Notes the Viscount. "It seems as though we are pinned somewhat."

The musketeers and mage knights can't help but note how the conversation has shifted, nor how it dies out after a short while.

"...I do have one possible idea. Since I am petitioning for Albion's aid, and since they are already planning to send some of their ships down to collect their refugees, I believe our best bet may be to secure La Rochelle and begin a mass evacuation if we can get more of their ships to supplement our own fleet." The princess sits back down in her office chair, though she's not exactly sitting prim and proper as she usually would. "I do not like the idea, and I do not expect may to agree with it, but with the possibility of the noble families abandoning us I cannot see a way to bolster our forces enough to fight two wars simultaneously without some kind of miracle occurring." She throws a half-hopeful look toward Joan, though she doesn't wait for an answer.

"The enemy can only condense their formations down so far before it starts working against them. If it's possible for Blake and Aoi to assist in the defense of the port town directly it may be possible to force the enemy to engage us on our terms and buy time for an evacuation."

No one needed to say anything to explain just how desperate that kind of play is. Gallia and Germania combined have more than enough soldiers to simply keep throwing them at Tristain's far smaller fighting force until the small nation's supply is exhausted. Were it King Tristain at the helm, it might have been possible to mount a defense until Romalia arrives, but Henrietta's lack of experience alongside her nation's low faith in her ability to lead makes such an approach almost impossible.

"Your Highness, that idea should be reserved for when you have had a chance to speak with your military leaders as well as the other noble families. No doubt many would find the concept distasteful at best, even if the alternatives mean death or abandoning their rightful land anyway." Wardes speaks gravely as he makes his point.

"Indeed, it should be. However, I am unsure of how much time we actually have." The princess replies while nodding before looking to the construct once more. "Come to think of it, is there anything you can do to delay the opposing armies?"

Joan puts her hand to her mouth in thought for a moment. "Well, we do have a lot of Wind Stones we could throw at this problem. Not sure how much good it'd do, mind. Make it too heavy-handed and we might just end up causing a disaster for Tristain anyway. Too light and it might not do enough."

"Please consider it. Delaying the enemy could mean the difference between a successful plan and a failure we will not live to regret." Despite how dire the situation is, the princess seems oddly a bit more at ease.


	51. Even the Natives Find it Odd

"...So the situation has grown this dire." Karin's response to her eldest daughter's report on the current state of affairs is low-key and without much energy to it. She furrows her brow in thought as the various possibilities run through her head. "Two simultaneous declarations of war. Tristain neither has the unity, military power, or leadership to weather such a thing."

"Indeed. I would have almost preferred a war against Albion." The Duke Valliere is no more happy to hear this than his wife, and for once in his life is at a loss of what to do. "Given the size of the Germanian and Gallian standing armies, and the possibility of noble families outright abandoning their nation, we could be outnumbered anywhere from five-to-one to ten-to-one depending on how organized they are." He then looks to Blake. "And on top of that, you say that Gallia has experimental war golems?"

"They most likely have more than just the one I dismantled. I saved out samples of its metal to determine its composition and weaknesses, if any, but that won't be immediately useful to us." The steampunk mage replies solemnly. "My own forces are also nowhere near substantial enough to make up for the sheer discrepancy in military might. Had they waited two or three more months, I would have been able to field more units."

The Duke sighs while shaking his head. "Both Gallia's actions and Germania's make no sense. You said you made contact with the Pope and made the request to have him settle things with the latter, did you not?"

"We did, and supposedly St. Aigis did as we asked." Eleanor chimes in with her own confirmation. She crosses her arms and taps one of the two with her finger in thought. "You're certainly right, father, this doesn't make one bit of sense. Germania's Emperor is committing to a war for emotional reasons. He should know better than to try something like that."

"Tristain harboring a dangerous foreign power that has attacked Germania's lands in the past is more than enough justification for war." Karin states bluntly as she looks to Blake. "As much as you've helped us, as well as this entire nation and parts of others, your methods and actions still leave you in the position of that of a criminal in both Gallia and Germania. Neither of them are under any obligation to listen to you or anyone else in regards to you."

"I am aware of this, in case you either haven't guessed or forgot." The steampunk mage's response is a bit snappier than normal.

"I am simply stating the truth, though I am not using this as grounds to judge you. You are still willing to back us as much as you can and try to correct your errors." The Duchess Valliere continues. "That being said, laying blame will not accomplish anything."

"It is a plan we need." The Duke chimes in once his wife finishes speaking. "As it stands I cannot think for a second that either attacking nation will honor the week-long grace period provided to us. Especially if the Mad King has already made an attempt on the young Princess Tristain's life."

"I've taken the time to mobilize scout drones to get accurate locations and numbers, but it will still take them time to get everything. I fully agree with you, though. It's why I have Aoi stationed with the Princess to better protect her." The steampunk mage explains before portaling in a cup of coffee. "Care for a cup?"

The Duke shakes his head in exasperation and mild amusement. "Very well, I will try some."

Karin's face is still unreadable, but there's a hint of her rolling her eyes. "Your timing is utterly ridiculous."

Blake hands off a cup to the Duke before responding. "Frequent, casual use of one's power allows one to hone it just as effectively as intensive training."

"That's debatable, coming from a magical construct." Eleanor states dryly. "So we can safely assume that both nation's armies are in position, chomping at the bit, and will most likely be able to crush any resistance we can put up against them."

"I do not see how this scenario could play out any differently." Admits the Duke.

Then the Gatekeeper's voice can be heard via a small portal. [MASTER BLAKE, USER AOI HAS INSTRUCTED ME TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CURRENT SITUATION.]

"Oh? Go ahead." States the construct.

[PRINCESS DE TRISTAIN IS INTENDING TO MOBILIZE AN EVACUATION EFFORT TO LEAD TRISTAIN'S RESIDENTS TO THE PORT TOWN OF LA ROCHELLE. FROM THERE TRISTAIN'S AIR FLEET IS TO COOPERATE WITH ALBION'S TO RELOCATE AS MANY CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE TO ALBION ITSELF. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO PROPERLY ENACT THIS PLAN.]

"Too many people, too many objections." The construct's summation leaves something to be desired, but it gets the point across. "A nation isn't the easiest thing to mobilize."

[ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE REPORTS THAT AT LEAST ONE PART OF GERMANIAN'S MILITARY IS MOVING IN ON YOUR POSITION.]

Karin narrows her eyes as she realizes what this must mean. "Zerbst. Of course Gerhild the Firestorm couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"I suppose that means we cannot evacuate in full. If the Zerbst family is moving in now, we must mobilize to stall them for as long as possible." The Duke states this grimly. "Sir Blake, if possible I would request that you assist in relocating as much of the people living on our land as possible. As well as seeing to the safety of my daughter, Eleanor."

"I will. Cattleya and Louise are already at our base, so keeping them from harm will be simple." Blake responds in kind.

"Father! You know full well that I am no-" The eldest daughter starts up, but is immediately cut off by her mother.

"Do not argue with your father, Eleanor. We both know that you are an accomplished and talented mage, but there is one factor you must bear in mind. If your father and I perish, you will become the head of the Valliere family. Cattleya is not fit to take on such a role, and Louise is too inexperienced. I will not see our lineage wiped out. Especially not by the Zerbst." The Duchess' words are quite clear in their meaning and intent. The two seem to think their odds aren't that great.

The eldest daughter's words died in her mouth as she considers what her mother just said. As much as she would love nothing more than to join her parents in battle to drive off the invaders, the simple fact is that her mother is also completely correct. If things turn out for the worst, she'll be the only available head of the family. Her breath catches in her throat for a moment as she steels herself. "I understand, mother."

That being said, the Duchess promptly hugs her daughter. "I understand that this is not easy for you. I truly did not expect to have to say farewells to my own daughters so soon, but know that I am proud of all of you."

The Duke embraces his daughter next. "A throne can be retaken, my dear Eleanor, but one's life cannot. Yours is too precious to throw away on something like this."

Meanwhile, the steampunk mage suddenly thinks of something. "...Gatekeeper, by 'moving in on your position,' did you mean moving in on the Valliere family's borders, moving in on the Valliere estate itself, or moving in on our current physical location?"

[...]

[THAT LAST ONE.]

"That would have been nice to know _sooner_ , you bucket of bolts." Blake frowns as he gets this new piece of information.

[I'M HAVING TO MICROMANAGE THIRTY AERIAL SCOUT DRONES BECAUSE THEIR AI ISN'T COMPENSATING FOR WHATEVER GALLIA IS THROWING AT THEM. I'M STRETCHED A BIT THIN AT THE MOMENT.]

"My my, such a touching farewell... It'd break my heart to see it end, but our families DO have a convenient opportunity." A mature, sultry, feminine voice makes itself known to all present.

A shapely woman who could be described as an older Kirche steps into view of everyone present, holding an ornate spear in one hand and a large shield in the other. Her armor looks as though it is meant to allow one to ride a dragon more readily, though her helmet has the slight impracticality of allowing her flowing red hair to trail out behind her. A number of more conventional troops accompany her, though they're more nervous than anything else.

Karin merely glares at Blake first, who shrugs in turn before stepping around her daughter and facing the new threat. "I do believe I explained what would happen the next time we met in detail."

"And I in turn explained what I intend to do with _you_ should you fail to live up to your threats." The dragonrider smiles rather smugly as she takes a few steps forward.

"Old flame?" Asks the steampunk mage to the living legend.

The mood in the room completely shatters as the fire mage almost doubles over in laughter. Karin's response could be regarded as a silent 'Are you serious,' while the Duke simply raises his eyebrows at that. Eleanor simply hits the construct over the head.

"Oh yes, you could say dear little Karin's an old flame of mine! I've chased her almost as much as I've chased her husband!" The dragonrider manages to recover from her laughter enough to actually speak. "Honestly though, have you no sense of theatrics? This is supposed to be a tense, suspenseful scene, not a comedy."

Karin groans in response while rubbing her forehead. "I assume you're here to pillage, rape, and burn, Gerhild?"

"Yes, no, and yes." The woman known as Gerhild replies simply. "Honestly, I'm already breaking direct orders from the Emperor by jumping in early, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a little fun at the Valliere's expense."

The living legend narrows her eyes. "More barbarian antics from you, I see."

The dragon rider shakes her head solemnly in response. "Any other day and you'd be right. Today, however, I have good reason for doing this." She frowns before continuing. "The Emperor has ordered my family to destroy yours and burn the land to ash, with _very_ clear consequences for not following through with it. Which is honestly bizarre to me. Our countries are normally amicable with one another so to me, this little war came out of nowhere."

"And you want to know why that is." The wind mage crosses her arms.

"Exactly. Not to mention I'm a little irritated that we've been ordered to end our little rivalry with you in such a violent fashion, but it's either our estate or yours." Gerhild points her spear at the four present. "My soldiers have orders to pillage this place's valuables, and to break no more than what is absolutely necessary."

"With our people being included in the list of 'valuables.'" Karin notes dryly.

The Firestorm simply sighs. "It lets me abuse a couple loopholes. If our rivalry is to end in blood, I want it to end on OUR terms, and no one else's. Besides, I can't twist your arm into helping me if you're dead." She then balances against her spear somewhat. "Not that I'm asking you to go quietly, however. It'll help with my credibility if one of the Emperor's men come knocking later on."

The Heavy Wind looks behind her and notes that only her husband remains. It seems as though Eleanor and Blake took the opportunity to leave. "Very well then, but bear in mind that I have not lost my edge. I have had quite the formidable opponent to keep myself sharp on."

The dragonrider smiles in response. "Oh, it's that cute little silver dragon, isn't it? I'd love to add him to my collection."

Karin doesn't even bother gracing that with a response, and starts the fight in earnest.

-

Eleanor seems rather annoyed by everything that's happened so far, and the simple fact that Blake attempted to shove her through a portal and remain behind to help fight simply infuriated her. Which is why she latched onto his arm before he could pull back and yanked him through with her. The fact that she wound up on top of him was something of a... mild inconvenience.

So naturally she's sitting on him with both her arms and legs crossed while thinking.

"I wasn't aware that you liked doing this kind of thing." Blake comments from his spot on the sand.

"Oh, shut up. Between thinking that would be the last time I'd ever see mother and father, and you trying to toss me to safety to help them..." She shudders a bit as she tries to maintain composure. "Do you have any idea how I'd feel if I lost all of you?"

"To be fair, I could potentially back myself up before going into any particularly major engagements and just form a new body if I were to be destroyed in some form." The steampunk mage points out.

The wind mage grits her teeth and starts pounding on Blake's back. "NOT. THE. POINT." She manages to calm herself down slightly before continuing. "...That's also the first time I've heard you mention that, though I suppose since you're some kind of advanced magical construct it would stand to reason that you could probably copy your command codes and stick them somewhere safe."

She then pointedly pokes Blake's back. "That aside, I wouldn't have been happy if you did die, even if you could just come back." She then relaxes her sitting position some. "After all, if I do become head of the Valliere estate, I would much prefer having someone competent with me to help run it."

"...Are you sure about that? We haven't known each other for that long." The construct feels the need to ask the question.

Eleanor stretches her legs out and spreads them slightly to get comfortable. "Recent events haven't exactly been easy on me. Between Louise's antics with Aoi, Cattleya's condition being kept in limbo for the time being, and the knowledge that we're stuck fighting a war we can't realistically win is just..." She sighs afterward. "I suppose I could just be panicking, but by the same token I feel like if I don't take the opportunities as I get them, I'll end up regretting it. I already screwed up royally in regards to someone I loved once."

Blake simply takes her hand and holds it in response, causing her to tense slightly before reciprocating.

"...Alright, alright. I'll stay here, but you have to stay safe as well." The wind mage finally relents after a few minutes of this. "Cattleya's going to flip once she finds out about this."

"I'm sure she'll want to hear some kind of good news since her cure has to wait for the time being." Blake seems to feel somewhat guilty over having to halt that.

"Indeed." The wind mage gets off the construct and allows him to stand up on his own. "I am quite serious. If I find out that you got yourself killed..."

"If this were a story, I think this would be referred to as a 'death flag.'" The construct muses to himself for a moment.

Eleanor frowns. "A what?"

"A triggered condition that ensures that someone dies later on, usually in some ironic and tragic fashion." Blake explains.

The eldest daughter seems less and less amused by all of this as she takes a step toward the construct. "And you think this conversation will do that."

"Honestly? No. Real life and narrative fiction rarely coincide in that manner." The steampunk mage doesn't step back.

She practically gets in the construct's face. "It had _better_ not." She all but hisses. "I don't want to find someone like you only to turn around and lose him because two imbecilic kings decided to try and annihilate my home nation."

Blake simply holds the eldest daughter in his arms in response, the latter of the two grumpily reciprocating after a few moments.

"You still have a defense effort to help coordinate, you know." Eleanor finally relents and speaks again.

"That I do." Blake's response is simple. "At the rate things are going I'm wondering if there's any chance of even getting anyone out of this nation before things start in earnest."

"We're certainly not being given much to work with. Either you and Aoi throw your weight around and break the offensives yourselves and leave Tristain open and without aid, or we all get ground down marginally more slowly." The wind mage leans into the construct a bit before something occurs to her. "Come to think of it, you never removed all the wind stone nodes completely, did you?"

"We didn't. We left enough behind to ensure that they'd regenerate at a modest pace, why?" Asks the construct curiously.

"So we basically have a bunch of wind stone bombs under the surface now..." Eleanor's train of thought moves toward a desperate maneuver, but not an impossible one.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, that is stupidly dangerous... and admittedly something I don't think they'd see coming." The construct concedes the point.

"Let's see if we can't cause a little chaos of our own." The wind mage smiles deviously.


	52. Elven Intervention

As much as Blake would like to say that it would be easy to just prime every wind stone deposit between Tristain's borders and the capital city itself to blow on command, the reality of the matter is that his resources are already stretched to the breaking point. There simply aren't enough units to go around to support the simultaneous mining operations in Germania, the construction of an underground fortification in Romalia, the possible exodus in Tristain, and sabotage the approaches of two armies. Not to mention that the construct Maxwell is still incomplete, so he can't just send the temperature manipulating machine out to help stall the enemy.

He rubs his forehead in annoyance as he strolls toward the first of many wind stone nodes. The pile of volatile, glowing green gemstones is, to him, every bit as awe-inspiring as it is nerve-wracking. While it will take quite a lot of force to actually set them off in the most efficient way, an accidental chain reaction is certainly still possible. Thus, he pulls out the first satchel charge and starts gently shifting some of the Wind Stones out of the way.

["So we're really doing this?"] The construct hears its brother through its earpiece.

"I can't think of a better solution. We simply can't fight two wars at once. At least, not when we have to actually defend a location the enemy can reach." The steampunk mage carefully covers the charge just in case Gallian troops manage to get down to the node to investigate.

[AT THIS STAGE, I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU HAVEN'T CONSIDERED SIMPLY GATING EVERYONE OUT.] The Gatekeeper chimes in.

["It's... kind of an awkward idea, logistically. I mean, we've probably got the space for it, but not the infrastructure."] Aoi replies. Blake can't help but imagine the dragon scratching his head in thought.

[NOT PERMANENTLY. USE OUR BASE AS A STOPGAP TO GET THEM ALL TO ALBION MORE EASILY.] The guardian points out.

"It's a possibility, but we're tapped out. Tristian is a small nation, but it is still a nation. There are more cities, towns, and estates than we can conceivably cover with the time we have." With one node primed, Blake opens up a gate and steps through to the next ideal node. The next pile of Wind Stones is no smaller than the last. "We're expecting the first engagements inside of... what, one day, perhaps two?"

[AROUND THAT POINT, PERHAPS LESS. THOUGH THERE IS WORSE NEWS ON THE GALLIAN FRONT. A FEW DRONES HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN, BUT IT GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THEIR APPROACHING AIR FLEET. I SUSPECT THAT IT IS NOT MANNED BY HUMANS.] The guardian reports with a surprising amount of irritation in its voice. [THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SILICON-BASED WINGED HUMANOIDS AROUND ANY GIVEN AIRSHIP.]

["Think it's our ol' pal Sheffy doing it?"] The dragon suggests.

[HER POWERS CAN BE QUANTIFIED AS SOMETHING JUST SHORT OF WHAT YOU MAY CONSIDER 'ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT,' SO YES, IT IS MOST LIKELY HER.] The Gatekeeper replies.

A few moments later and another satchel charge is buried. "You do realize that strictly speaking, we have no room to judge her on her powers."

["We can judge her on being a jerk, though."] One could practically hear Aoi smirking.

"True, but that's beside the point. I mean, look at us." Blake steps through another portal and preps another charge. "Aoi, you and I can transform into dragons, we both are more or less either highly resistant or outright immune to the elements we wield should we so choose, we both have nearly fathomless reserves of power to draw from, and you... well, you seem to get massive power boosts just for holding anything meant to stab someone."

["Eh, fair enough."] The dragon's reply is a little bit short for him.

[WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS OF THE SERVANT MYOZNITNIM'S POWER.] The Gatekeeper's response is tinged with a bit more annoyance. [NOR HER TOTAL CAPABILITIES. IT IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE THAT SHE IS MORE POWERFUL OR VERSATILE THEN EITHER OF YOU.]

"And we don't have an accurate read of the Gandalfr's total power boosts either, nor whether any of the the Void familiars have the capacity to grow beyond their initial states as we can." Blake makes his counter-point before covering up the next charge under a number of Wind Stones. He taps his earpiece once. "Eleanor, how are things on your end?"

["I've planted two dozen of the charges near the Germanian side already. I still can't believe you wanted to keep me holed up at your resort."] The wind mage sounds a little put-out, but also grudgingly understanding.

"I can most likely survive a premature detonation. You would be torn to shreds. I have good reason to worry about you." The construct states as he moves to his next target.

The both of them can hear snickering on the other end. ["Wow, you two really have a thing for each other, don't you?"] Aoi notes.

[CALLED IT.] The Gatekeeper manages to sound somewhat smug.

"The peanuts gallery need not apply." Blake rolls his eyes while responding dryly.

Eleanor chooses not to dignify that with a response.

["Anyway, Cattleya started squealing when I filled her in on you two."] Aoi is definitely smirking now.

"Oh, for the love of..." The steampunk mage starts, but trails off. "I suppose there's no helping it. With her treatment on indefinite pause, some good news would help her."

Eleanor's voice catches in her throat for a moment, leading to her coughing for a bit before finally being able to respond. ["Listen, you bastard dragon! It's not even official!"]

"There's no point in trying to fool either of them. They were both created from the same Halkeginian gate, meaning they both have at least partially functional biomedical scanners." Blake explains as he continues his rounds. "Before you ask, our progenitor built those functions into the gates to help keep accurate records and backups of those who traverse the gates. As you well know, he had good reason to worry."

["...You idiots make it difficult for me to act dignified, you know."] One can imagine Eleanor blushing furiously as she works. ["I don't know what it's like where you're from, but Tristain has its own set of rules when it comes to courtship."]

["Feh, chivalry. You're supposed to drop barriers when you want to get intimate with someone, not throw up locked doors."] Aoi notes with some measure of disgust in his voice.

["As nobles, we have to carry ourselves a certain way!"] The wind mage snaps at the dragon as she goes.

[NONE OF THOSE PRESENT OBSERVE YOUR TRADITIONS, HOWEVER.] The Gatekeeper adds in.

"Alright, alright, stop bullying the poor woman. We're supposed to be rigging this place to blow, not poking holes in her beliefs." Blake finally steps up. "Alright, that's number ten on my end. That should cover about half of the Gallian approach. Gatekeeper, what's the status of the enemy armies?"

The eldest Valliere daughter simply huffs before resuming her work.

[THE GALLIAN AIRFLEET APPEARS TO BE APPROACHING SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED. THEIR GROUND FORCES ARE TRAILING AND ARE MOST LIKELY THE CLEAN-UP CREW. THE GERMANIAN FORCES ARE LESS ORGANIZED, BUT ARE MOSTLY LAND-BASED AT THIS POINT. THEY HAVE MINIMAL AIR PRESENCE.]

["Cripes. Good thing I managed to convince Henrietta to just start gating people over to La Rochelle."] The dragon notes. ["I mean, it's taking Wardes, Matilda, and I a fair bit of time but we've got at least 33% of the citizenry out of the capital."]

["But there's no chance of you being able to get everyone out."] Eleanor notes, her tone unreadable.

["Gallia's throwing a lot of trash our way. Between their army, air fleet, whatever experimental stuff they've got, and Sheffield and elves and what have you, we're lucky Joseph hasn't just straight-up ordered his higher profile servants to start raising hell."] Aoi replies with at least some concern in his voice. ["To be honest, it makes me wonder what he's even up to. He has to know we won't stay put."]

["Actually, he may be expecting Henrietta to do just that. Bear in mind that abandoning an entire country is a _completely_ unheard of tactic, not to mention one that goes against everything the nobility stands for."] The eldest Valliere daughter explains. ["We glorify dying in battle for a noble cause. It helps convince people to keep fighting, the idea that their deaths are not in vain and that by making the sacrifice that they are, that perhaps their loved ones can enjoy a peaceful life for that much longer."]

"But on the flip side, this war would be a meaningless slaughter if you remained." Blake pulls up the obvious counterpoint to the above.

["Precisely. The simple fact that at least one entire noble family has pulled out entirely should tell you how poor our chances are, and that anyone with any sort of ability to appreciate military tactics and odds can tell we'll lose."] One can hear a bit of grunting on the eldest daughter's end. ["There, that's the last one."]

A few moments later and Eleanor joins up with Blake at the next point. "You can just return to base, you know." The steampunk mage points out.

"I would rather remain with you for the time being. I mean, strictly speaking I am nearly as safe with you as I am at your base." The wind mage points out while adjusting her glasses.

["...You know, the hilarious part about this is that Cattleya called it."] Aoi pipes up after a few minutes.

"Called it?" The eldest daughter frowns as she tries to figure out what kind of turn of phrase that actually is.

"He means that Cattleya predicted our interactions accurately." Notes the steampunk mage as he sets one of the last charges.

Eleanor sighs as she leans against the tunnel wall. "Yes, I am perfectly aware of this. She will no doubt look incredibly smug, happy, and brag about it." She then looks to the steampunk mage. "How many more?"

"Another six, if we have the time. Once they're all set..." Blake starts up, but is cut off by the eldest daughter immediately.

"Yes, yes, we can set them off from the safety of your base. You don't need to remind me." The wind mage rolls her eyes.

[MASTER BLAKE, I AM PICKING UP SOME UNUSUAL ENERGY SIGNATURES NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THIS MINE.]

"Oh, what now?" The Steampunk mage groans as he finishes up.

[PERIMETER SENSORS INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF SPIRIT MAGIC. HOWEVER, THIS SIGNATURE DOES NOT BELONG TO ANY OF OUR ALLIES.]

"Son of a... Are there any such signatures at the other mines?"

[NO. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THIS IS THE ONLY ONE.]

"Great. So either Joseph is more proactive than I thought, bordering on precognitive, or someone else is joining the 'fun.'" Blake is rather annoyed by this development, to say the least. "Eleanor, please, leave now. If I have to transform I will end up being more of a threat to you than whatever's coming down here."

The eldest daughter grudgingly sighs, moves forward to embrace the construct briefly, then gates out wordlessly.

["...Wow. You know, I pegged her as the type who'd kick up a fuss about being separated from you."] The dragon chimes in.

[I ALLOWED HER TO VIEW SKOGEAZO'S... 'ALTERCATION' WITH THE PROTOTYPE WAR GOLEM FOR A REASON. WE NEED HER TO BE FULLY AWARE OF MASTER BLAKE'S ABILITIES TO PREVENT THAT SORT OF THING.]

"Smart move. I haven't the level of precision in that form that Aoi does as Arenkon." Blake comments while looking somewhat wistful. "...Honestly though, I'm not even human. How can I have a hormonal reaction like that?"

["I dunno, maybe love isn't dictated solely by hormone levels and reactions, and can be dictated by care for another? Plus, we're based _on_ a human. It's not impossible that we inherited some of our progenitor's quirks."] The steampunk mage couldn't help but imagine Aoi gesturing as he speaks.

[MULTIPLE TARGETS INBOUND. SCANS CONSISTENT WITH ELVEN PHYSIOLOGY. THEY'RE NOT ONE OF OURS.]

["...Wait, didn't Shajal mention how the elves were keeping an eye on the Void mages and familiars and would act if they felt the need?"]

Blake wordlessly pulls a clockwork rifle out of a portal and primes it.

[THIS IS TURNING INTO A COMPLICATED HASSLE. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD JUST DETONATE THIS NODE NOW AND SAVE YOURSELF FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH THEM, MASTER BLAKE.]

"If we mis-time this, we won't do any damage to the invading Gallian army at all. A few elves potentially targeting Void mages aren't worth losing this asset." Blake states coolly as he mentally prepares a few key spells. "Aoi, as a precaution, keep aware of your surroundings as well, and keep Tiffania and Louise at the base for the time being. An enemy can't complete an objective it cannot reach."

["Gotcha. I swear, at the rate this is going it's gonna be me against who knows how many superpowered units."] The dragon grumbles. ["I'm gonna put a dent in our Wind Stone supply to prepare. If it's just me against Sheffy and the elves, I'm gonna need a boost."]

"You don't need to ask me. Do as you need." The construct starts walking forward to confront the potential enemies.

-

The three elves that had moved down into the abandoned mine were only doing so purely because chance happened to favor them. They had detected a small Void presence beneath the earth, though admittedly it is masked by both the wind stone node ahead of them and some other background noise. The Elders are certainly concerned about the current state of affairs since while there are two highly visible pairs of Void mages and familiars running around, two others are much more slippery and harder to pin down.

One more pair had been identified some time ago, but the nature of the Void familiar gives not only the Elders pause, but also the scouts and operatives moving about inside of the Brimiric nations pause as well. An entity that appears able to change its form freely from a humanoid to a dragon, but is in truth neither and may be some unnaturally powerful changeling. The sheer amount of power it produces, coupled with the knowledge that that familiar had successfully defeated Bidashal prior to even becoming a familiar means that the third pair will be just as difficult to approach and take down as the other two, albeit not for the same reasons.

The first pair being the religious leader of the Brimiric faith means that simply slipping in and kidnapping the man would be a daunting task at best. With an entire nation between the Elven lands and Romalia, there is simply too much distance to cover and too many chances for things to go wrong. Simply killing them isn't an option either, since the Void will simply move to the next available recipient and put them back at square one.

The second pair being the King of Gallia and the Myoznitnim, or 'Mind of God' in the Markey language. Bidashal approached the pair since they seem to be less of a threat to elvenkind than the rest and has been working under them since. A bit of a surprising move, but one the elders are willing to honor for now since Joseph does not follow the Brimiric faith. Naturally, just killing them isn't an option.

Hence why the knowledge of an uncoupled _fourth_ familiar is such a windfall by comparison. Previous knowledge indicates that not only is it the Lifdrasil, and ergo the weakest of the four possible Void familiars, it also appears to be nothing special outside of an unusual ability to create portals. With a few choice drugs, it may be possible to not only incapacitate it, but also locate its master and retrieve whoever that is as well.

A few operatives have expressed their doubts about this supposed windfall, however.

This Lifdrasil has been linked to, or is, the human or humanoid that has been defying the land's natural order and removing its accumulated Wind Stones en-masse via proxy to save the human lands. It is no secret that said human employs potent machines to accomplish this, and the nature of the constructs ensures that they will be at least an annoyance to combat, as opposed to regular human soldiers. Anyone looking to approach this man has to work under the assumption that he is not alone, or will not be alone for long.

Hence why all three elves present have defensive magic primed in case the familiar does anything. The odds are good that they're walking into some kind of trap or confrontation, and want to be certain that they can crush any resistance present before it can get out of hand. Wordlessly, they soldier on, carrying the weight of their people's future on their shoulders.

-

The elves and the construct meet in the tunnels well before the primed node, each side staring the other down, daring the other to make a move.

"You people have the absolute _worst_ sense of timing. Do you not understand that I'm busy with other things?" Blake opens the conversation openly annoyed.

"What you are doing is irrelevant, Lifdrasil. Your mere presence is a stain on this world, and a threat to the elven race." The lead elf replies in kind.

"I have no interest in waging war with the elves, let alone exterminate them. Not unless you give me good reason to do so." The steampunk mage keeps his weapon primed and aimed.

"What you _wish_ is every bit as meaningless. The Markey would see us wiped out if given half the opportunity, and you are a tool that could lead to our death as a race. We cannot, and will not take the chance of letting you or your master roam free." Another of the elves retorts.

"A bit meaningless to try and take me when you don't even know who my master is, or where he is." Blake replies dryly while deliberately throwing a piece of misinformation out there.

"We'll manage." States the lead elf.

"No. You won't." The steampunk mage promptly lets loose with his rifle before the earth itself seems to open up to swallow him whole.

The bullets are blocked with a few chunks of earth, though the elf causing this defense is caught off-guard by a number of small explosions that shatter the stone. None the less, none of the three seem particularly impressed. "Just give up. A mere human like yourself cannot defeat an elf."

The steampunk mage clenches his hands, takes a deep breath... then promptly unleashes three torrents of rosewood flame from his mouth and hands while superheating the earth around him. The entire lower half of the tunnel is flooded with magical fire, forcing the elves to retreat somewhat as the earth rises up to try and block the assault. To their relief, the impromptu barrier holds, but the fire does not abate. The mage cannot be seen from their perspective.

The lead elf narrowly avoids being hit in the face with a half-melted clockwork rifle... which then also explodes after being blocked by a large stone. "Curses... block off the tunnel, but try to keep the Lifdrasil alive."

The earth and stone in the tunnel promptly close up around Blake, while the elves try to figure out where to go from here. While powerful, spirit magic can only do so much and they have to be able to incapacitate someone who just displayed Firstborn magic capabilities. As a human. The last of the elves finally speaks. "I hate our luck sometimes. Why couldn't this thing have been an ordinary human?"

"It's still alive. It's..." The second of the elves speaks again, half angry and half scared. "It's transforming. It's just like the one that took down Bidashal!"

"Clear out! We'll need room to fight something like that!" The three then move to escape the tunnel, while the earth closes up behind them. Despite that maneuver, the ambient temperature of the underground is still rising. "It's right on our tail! _Move_!"

-

The three elves were barely able to escape, and managed to seal up the entryway they used to get inside the mine in the first place. Not one of the three are so much as out of breath thanks to utilizing the power of the spirits around them, but it's clear to them that this may be one of the few entities capable of brute-forcing its way past their attacks and defenses. Each elf prepares something different, utilizing everything from the earth, to fire, to air, to water in the hopes that they would be able to take down this newfound monster.

Then the sealed entryway begins to melt and distort as their foe finally breaches the surface. A hundred foot long dragon-serpent covered in magma of its own creation rises from the earth, and surveys that which is around it. Blades, weapons, golems, elves... None of this is even capable of deterring the dragon. "Arrogant fools... What did you hope to accomplish with this?" The dragon's voice is low and growling as it assumes a resting position and wipes some of the molten earth off its metal scales. "What I do, what those allied with me do, is none of your concern, nor your business."

It adjusts its pose a bit before continuing. "I give you intruders one last chance. _**Leave**_."

A concentrated tornado hits it square in the chest, sending it reeling. Pressurized jets of water cut into its scales some, forcing it back further. The earth upheaves and shifts, forcing the serpent dragon to try and regain its balance as a massive stone slams its head into the ground.

And there it lay unmoving.

"...It's going to be a pain trying to secure that thing." One of the elves states.

"We'll need to figure _something_ out." Says another.

"Figure something out faster, something's wrong here." The last points to the dragon.

Clouds of dark crimson, crackling energy are forming around the blade-like scales on the serpent's body, and once again the earth begins to melt in its presence. Jets of flame erupt from natural vents along its body, and it effortlessly hurls off the stone holding it down. Its chest glows as if filled with magma, and its copper scales blacken. A heat shimmer protrudes from its barely open mouth, and it breathes in.

Skogeazo roars, black rings issuing forth from its mouth as if to emphasize its rage... while conveniently repulsing the barrage of magic the elves are trying to hit it with.

-

Aoi sips a glass of water as he watches his brother fight a three on one battle from their base. "Welp, he's pissed."

"Couldn't we just throw _him_ at the enemy army? I'm fairly certain he could just melt them all." Eleanor looks rather concerned with this new development.

[MASTER BLAKE'S STAMINA IS LIMITED AT THE MOMENT. HE IS UNUSED TO THE SKOGEAZO FORM, AS OPPOSED TO USER AOI, WHO HAS MORE OR LESS EMBRACED HIS ARENKON FORM FROM THE BEGINNING.]

One elf gets caught in Skogeazo's fire breath, and while his air shield is enough to divert the attack, it distracts him from the fact that the earth beneath him is melting. His own spirit magic cannot keep up, and a number of spear-like scales land behind him to cut off his escape. He tries to stay aloft with the wind spirits shielding him from the worst of it, and he is saved for the moment by a few water jets distracting the serpent.

"Is he in danger right now?" The eldest daughter asks the guardian.

"Nah. Skogeazo's gonna melt all three of them down long before they can do any lasting damage." The dragon waves off the daughter's concerns. "See, he's using his launched scales to cut them off from an aerial retreat, while simultaneously melting the earth around him. Elves are tough, but mostly because of their magic. Catch them out and they're no more durable than humans."

The serpent dragon flings a number of spear-like scales from its tail at one of the fleeing elves, and while a number are handily deflected, at least one has a second stage and is propelled by fire magic to start pushing past the spirit magic barrier that particular elf threw up. Said elf drops lower to try and evade the projectile, and is only saved from a massive tail swipe by a large stone golem that is holding back the dragon's spiny tail.

[ELVES DO NOT APPEAR TO USE THEIR OWN STAMINA, HOWEVER.]

"No kidding. Honestly, I kinda wonder if I just beat Bidashal by luck before." Aoi scratches his arm as he continues to watch.

Superheated chunks of golem are flung at an offending elf, who manages to propel himself out of the way in the nick of time. What he does not avoid, however, is the spear-like scale flung at him right when he began his evasion. He is promptly pinned against a tree, and both the elf and the piece of flora promptly burst into flame for their trouble. With one of their own dying, the other two have to make a snap decision on whether to flee or not.

With most of the surrounding earth broken up, melted, or on fire, and the dragon's surprisingly accurate spear scales being flung at them to inhibit their movement, the remaining two elves opt to flee rather than pursue a potentially losing battle. They'd need more combatants to deal with this thing.

One, however, was half-vaporized by what amounts to a heat ray fired from the serpent dragon's mouth. The remaining elf flees at double time to report what happened.

"Alright, he's fine. Back to work I go!" Aoi gates himself out, leaving Eleanor and the Gatekeeper alone.

[SAME HERE. I NEED TO FOCUS ON TELEMETRY.] The Gatekeeper walks off.

Blake gates back in in his human form, looking somewhat beat up, cut up, and burnt for his trouble. He looks to Eleanor. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"I hope you aren't as bad off as you smell as well." Notes the eldest daughter.

"Good thing I can fix all of this relatively quickly. After that, I'll need to finish placing the charges." The construct is remarkably nonchalant about the whole thing.

"Yes, you will be fixing your appearance. Come on." With that, the wind mage drags the construct off.


	53. Predictable Ambitions

As much as Henrietta didn't necessarily want to admit it, she does acknowledge the fact that moving her from the capital city of Tristain to the port town of La Rochelle sooner rather than later was simply the safer and saner option out of the ones available. After all, so far as she knows no one actually has the ability to properly track gate usage or where their exits or entrances are made short of being there and going through personally. It helps keep the enemy guessing, and the more they're forced to guess, the longer it takes for them to hash out what one's plan is and act to stop it.

It still weighs on her, however, for she is among the first to be properly evacuated to the port town. Not that too many would be able to tell immediately, however. She had ditched her royal attire prior to actually leaving, feeling that it would be better to simply blend into the increasingly large congregation of hastily evacuated citizens rather than make a scene by acting as decorum would demand. A plain skirt, a partially unbuttoned blouse, her hair done up in a ponytail, and a carefully cast water spell to hide the at times ridiculous way her hair color behaves and no one could tell if she's a commoner (unless they paid attention to her mannerisms,) a noble (acting too improper for that,) or actually the princess (lacks the proper attire and appearance.)

She had similarly dismissed her guard in a move that even she will admit is foolish. Those that were once watching her are now ensuring order in the midst of the confused, scared, milling crowds while even more people are unceremoniously gated in.

The princess sits on a bench and sighs. Between Aoi, Blake, Matilda, and Wardes, the capital city will be largely depopulated and turned into a potential deathtrap inside of a day at most. It's ultimately a huge waste of resources that will more or less require the elusive mage's assistance to undo in any reasonable timeframe, but it's an option that will hopefully help slow down the enemy even further. Tristain is an important hub town in a way, with most of the major roads leading to and from it. Taking that city will give Gallia and Germania's land forces a straight shot at La Rochelle, which in her mind means that they may prioritize taking it over trying to cut through the wilderness.

The only other thought plaguing her mind at the moment is how the border towns are faring. It's highly unlikely that they would be able to survive without assistance, and there's no telling how the invading armies will treat them. Given the tone of both declarations of war...

She shakes her head to try and clear those thoughts from her mind. There is simply no point in fretting over that when the fate of the people who **are** safe for the moment is so uncertain.

=-=

Vittorio isn't quite sure what to think about the way Blake had just gated into a sermon. On the one hand, the fact that he didn't even bother to check in first is nothing short of rude and disruptive. On the other, if he's not bothering to do so, then there must be a reason for it. The congregation is at least startled by the sudden arrivals, but no one has moved yet.

"My apologies for the intrusion, but it seems as though there are a few points we need to discuss. Now." The steampunk mage's mood is certainly less than ideal, while the eldest Valliere daughter is simply letting him do the talking.

The pope nods in response. "My apologies to those present, but I cannot ignore this. I will return as soon as possible."

=-=

The news couldn't have been much worse, as far as the Pope is concerned. Gallia overstepping its bounds is one thing. Germania making an uncharacteristic and coordinated move another.

Elves invading to kidnap those bearing aspects of the Holy Void is something he cannot describe properly. There are few to no words that Vittorio could utter that would properly convey the sheer level of aggravation he feels at this very moment. "We can assume that the elves will try again."

"Possibly. I killed two out of the three present, and I'm not so sure that they can bring too many more elves in without someone getting suspicious. I came here partly to get your opinion on matters." Blake doesn't even bother sitting, as it's clear that he wants to try and keep this as short as possible.

"It is impossible to tell how far they will go to accomplish their goals. Elvenkind has not attempted anything like this in my time as Pope, and if they have, I have had no word of it." Vittorio is equal parts irritated at humanity's worst enemy, and irritated at himself for not seeing this coming. The elves are an unscrupulous lot and would no doubt take advantage of humanity's infighting to further their own goals.

"I also feel the need to ask if you were able to meet with Emperor Alberch the Third or not. I know the man is less than rational at times, he should at least listen to what you have to say." Eleanor speaks, her own tone somewhat stressed given the circumstances.

"I was. I assumed that the matter was cleared up, it it appears that I was mistaken." The pope cannot help but wonder what happened, himself. "We are mobilizing our forces to aid Tristain, but I fear that it will be too little, too late."

"Both armies are on Tristain's doorstep already, and the Zerbst family has already engaged the Vallieres." Blake explains, confirming the Pope's fears.

Vittorio's expression turns utterly unreadable as he thinks. "I will do what I can. To think that we are caught out like this... Humanity cannot afford to be divided like this." He pauses for a moment before speaking again. "Sir Blake, if it is at all possible, it would be best to send a strike team to deal with Emperor Alberch directly. He cannot wield the Void, and will be the least threat to you and your partner. If it his by his will that he is attempting to eradicate Tristain, then the only sensible option is to eliminate him. This is not ideal, however."

"And the other option is to find out the truth behind his actions, I assume." The eldest Valliere crosses her arms.

"Indeed. If he has been controlled somehow, it would be better to free him. Though he is not blessed by the Founder, and his nation does not hold any aspects of the Holy Void, his nation is still part of the collective Brimiric nations." The Pope adds on. "Joseph, on the other hand, has done far too much at this point. He must be dealt with as well."

"That man is a rabid dog that needs to be put down. I hope you aren't suggesting that we save him." The steampunk mage frowns in annoyance.

"No, I agree with you. The trouble is that he wields the Void, has a powerful Void familiar, and a much stronger military. It would be wiser to gain Alberch's assistance first, if at all possible." The Pope clarifies.

A sudden beeping interrupts the conversation, and Blake pulls out his tablet and examines it. Spotting something of note, he taps the screen once before putting it away again.

"My apologies, Eleanor and I have rigged several Wind Stone nodes to detonate on command to stall the incoming armies and aerial navy. I needed to set one off." The construct actually seems somewhat amused by this development, oddly enough.

As much as the Pope would have liked to voice his thoughts on the matter, he keeps his mouth shut. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all, but it still doesn't encourage him that the steampunk mage has the ability to destroy the nodes in such a way.

=-=

Sheffield has a commanding view of the nation beneath her, while the Jormungandr are busy destroying everything in their path with a little assistance from herself and her gargoyles. So far there hasn't been so much as a hint of resistance, which is both good news by her book and more than a little suspicious. It's no secret to her that either Aoi or Blake could appear and attack at any time, and are more than capable of decimating even a fleet of this size if they put their minds to it.

"...So why aren't they?" The Myoznitnim asks herself while narrowing her eyes. "Hm?"

Something feels decidedly off about all this.

Then a deep, powerful rumbling makes itself heard, the intensity of it growing with every passing second. She prepares a few artifacts in case she needs to prevent an attack, but this doesn't feel like anything she's experienced before. "They couldn't have..."

An explosion rocks the surface as unprecedented amounts of wind magic is unleashed all at once, the turbulent energy rapidly forming into a funnel that reaches clear into the clouds. Boulders, chunks of earth, trees, and other debris soars into the sky or is spat out at random points along the funnel. Three of the advance ships filled with gargoyles are torn apart into splinters instantly, their carcasses hurled back into the rest of the air fleet. Another two ships are demolished by them, and several more are damaged before they can even change course.

"You have **got** to be kidding me." Sheffield states as her shields effortlessly deflect a few smaller bits of ship that happened to be shot in her direction. "Master, we're sailing over a minefield!" She shouts over her shoulder.

She's greeted by the uproarious laughter of her master, King Joseph. "And here they are, resorting to the very tactic _I_ wanted to use!" Though he outwardly displays mirth at the irony, he's already considering his options. "Keep our ship closer to the back lines. The rest of our airfleet consists of nothing but meatshields. Let's use them as such!"

"Understood, master." Sheffield promptly changes the formation of the Gallian airfleet while changing their course so that no more ships are lost to the cyclone. "Is there anything else to be done, master?"

"Send the elemental siblings ahead to check the capital city. If there's even a hint of evacuation, we change course to their largest port town and leave our armies to burn the capital to the ground." Joseph states simply. "It will be a shame that we won't get to see the Jormungandr tear apart the Germanians if Henrietta is as smart as I think she is, but the remains won't go anywhere."

"And the towns along the way?" Asks the servant almost needlessly.

"Destroy them all in any way you see fit, but make a show of it." Joseph's smile is wicked as he issues the order. "I want to leave a trail of ruin for the Romalians to find, and a mountain of corpses to greet them upon."

"As you wish, master." Sheffield's own mood is already improving considerably.

Then another wind cyclone erupts from the earth, tearing apart another five ships.

The Myoznitnim's eye twitches. "With. Pleasure."


	54. Now Why Didn't I Think of That?

"Deal with Emperor Alberch first... That would be a good suggestion, if Gallia didn't have an air fleet." Eleanor grumbles as she joins Blake in a command room of sorts in the latter's main base of operations. The location is largely empty save for the two of them and the Gatekeeper, though on the flip side one could get the impression that only the last of the three is truly needed. "They're mere hours out. We can't stop the Emperor, stop his army, get new orders out to all of the troops, _and_ make it back in time."

"We may not have to deal with him personally, mind. Remember, if Gerhild is telling the truth she's looking for help to deal with the Emperor herself." Blake interjects as he goes over a few more readings, feeling rather smug as he reads the reports about the enemy airships being demolished.

"I think you can understand why I am just a _tad_ apprehensive of that woman." The wind mage scowls at the steampunk mage.

[WHETHER HE'S DEALT WITH BY SOMEONE ELSE OR NOT, JOSEPH IS THE PRIORITY. THE SHIPS NEARER THE BACK OF THE GALLIAN FORMATION APPEAR TO BE BETTER PROTECTED WHILE EXHIBITING VOID ENERGY SIGNATURES. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE MAD KING HIMSELF MAY BE PRESENT.] The Gatekeeper states suddenly, startling the eldest daughter.

Blake frowns. "Why would he... No, that actually makes some measure of sense, actually." He taps the console he's sitting at in thought. "He must be taking the bulk of his military with him. He may not be able to take on Romalia with a massively reduced defense force and contend with us at La Rochelle. Why risk getting assassinated because you can't protect yourself properly?"

By this point the eldest daughter regains her composure. "I'm more worried about what he's up to. He's certainly not short on firepower." She points out a list of known units in the Gallian army. "I know you were able to effortlessly demolish one of those large war golems, but he seems to have brought in well over a dozen. ...Where did he even get all this?"

[JOSEPH MOST LIKELY RAMPED UP HIS PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES BECAUSE OF BLAKE AND AOI. GALLIA IS A LARGE NATION WITH IMMENSE NATURAL RESOURCES. IT WOULD NOT TAKE MUCH TO ACCUMULATE WHAT IS NECESSARY.]

"Meanwhile, I take it all _our_ big guns aren't ready yet." The construct states.

[MAXWELL WILL NOT BE COMPLETED BEFORE IT WOULD BE NEEDED, NO. OUR OWN AIRSHIP IS STILL A WAYS OFF FROM BEING BATTLE-READY.]

"Figures. Is anything happening in Tristain?"

[FOUR ENTITIES HAVE ENTERED IT NOT LONG AGO. THEY ARE ALREADY LEAVING THE AREA.]

"Might be those mercenaries." Blake looks to Eleanor. "I know you won't like this, but I would much prefer-"

The eldest daughter holds a hand up to stop the steampunk mage, sighs, and responds. "I know, you wish for me to stay out of harm's way. You are rather predictable on that point."

The steampunk mage looks slightly guilty on that point. "My apologies, but Aoi and I will most likely be facing inhumanly powerful enemies. You are skilled, don't get me wrong..."

[HE LOVES YOU AND DOESN'T WANT TO SEE YOU GETTING HURT.] The Gatekeeper states flatly. ...Or as flatly as the machine's thunderous voice will allow.

Blake winds up choking, for once.

"Ah." Eleanor looks slightly surprised by the blunt, deadpan declaration. "Well, it's not like I don't feel anything for him, but..."

[LET'S BE HONEST HERE. YOU TWO MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER TOO LONG, BUT YOU'VE 'CLICKED' IN A SENSE DESPITE THE SHEER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU NATURE-WISE.] The Gatekeeper doesn't stop monitoring the situation as it speaks, though one can imagine that the machine would be a fair bit more expressive if the situation permitted it. [PLUS THE TWO OF YOU HAVE BEEN STRAIGHT-UP DANCING AROUND THE SUBJECT FOR THE LAST COUPLE DAYS NOW. DO YOU TWO HAVE ANY IDEA HOW _ANNOYING_ THAT IS?]

"Meanwhile we're in the middle of battle preparations." The steampunk mage points out. "That's not exactly a good time to sort out interpersonal feelings."

[WE'RE COVERING AN ESCAPE, NOT STOPPING A TIDAL WAVE. WORSE COMES TO WORST WE COULD JUST...] The guardian pauses for a moment.

"Just what?" Asks Eleanor, who is grateful for the sudden change in subject.

[IF WE CAN GATE PEOPLE TO LA ROCHELLE, WHY DID WE NOT JUST GATE THEM STRAIGHT TO ALBION?] Asks the construct. Somehow, it sounds genuinely confused with itself, if not immensely annoyed. [SKIP THE ENTIRE PROCEEDING AND USE OUR ADVANTAGE TO KEEP OUR ALLIES OUT OF REACH. IT WOULD HAVE BOUGHT US MORE TIME AND LET US LAY ANOTHER TRAP TO GRIND DOWN THE APPROACHING FORCES.]

Blake's eye twitches. "I... erk... what? How... how did _none_ of us think of that?!" The mage shoots up and opens up a connection to Aoi's communicator. "Aoi! We're idiots."

["What, you only just realized this?"] The dragon's amused, snarky tone can be heard in the command center.

"I mean that we've basically wasted everyone's time with this. We've got at least a partial map of Albion, we could have just gated everyone there as opposed to using airships!" The steampunk mage sounds completely exasperated with himself this time.

["...Wow. _Now_ I feel like an idiot. We don't have the infrastructure to support all those people, but Albion does."]

"Contact Henrietta, Wardes, anyone important and see if they can't help with this revision. I'll need to talk to Prince Wales and let him know that we may need him to turn around." The construct rubs his forehead in annoyance.

["Gotcha. Anything else I should be aware of?"] Asks the dragon.

"Our mercenary 'friends' may be trying to track you down to pay you a visit. I'm not sure how fast they can move, but assume the worst."

["That might be fun. Thanks, I'll be in touch."] With that, Aoi closes the connection.

"I seriously can't believe I forgot to apply Occam's Razor to this problem." Blake gates in a cup of coffee and downs the thing in one shot, despite the heat. "How did all three of us get that caught up in the minutia?"

"To be fair, you are trying to juggle just about everything yourself. Plus Henrietta and the other nobles aren't used to you and your services like the rest of us are." Eleanor notes as she clasps her hands in her lap. "Also, mercenaries?"

"Elven mercenaries or whatever, there were four of them and I think I already explained this." The steampunk mage tosses the empty cup away before tapping away at the console. "Gatekeeper, keep an eye out for any anomalous gate activity. Knowing our luck Joseph's not even here for the people at all."

[UNDERSTOOD.]

"I think you lost me at some point. What would he be going for, then?" Asks the eldest daughter.

"You know how we distributed a few keys to allow you and a few others to make free use of our gate system, yes?" Once the eldest daughter confirms, the construct continues. "I would be surprised if Joseph is aware of them, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't try to make a grab for one once he knows they exist."

"That would make your system a bit of a double-edged sword, wouldn't it?" Eleanor places a hand under her cheek as she thinks.

[THAT'S WHY WE KEEP A STANDING FORCE ON THE ISLANDS THEMSELVES. NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME IN FROM, THEY WILL BE MET WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FIREPOWER.]

The eldest daughter considers a few more things. "Come to think of it, couldn't you just open some smaller gates up to let those turrets I saw before shoot through?"

"I'm not entirely sure it works that way, but it's worth a shot once they get in closer." The construct replies.


	55. In the Wrong Hands

Tristain is nothing more than a ghost town at this point. It is utterly devoid of people, and the only movement comes from the odd bits of debris and loose items that blow about in the wind. Sunlight shines through the clouds, giving the whole place a serene, yet somehow lifeless and ghastly appearance. Despite this, two fast-moving figures have chosen to flit about the city in search of something. One a rather dashingly-dressed blond young man, the other a violet-haired young woman in a frilly, gothic-lolita style outfit.

"My, my, those mirages work fast. I don't think anyone else could have emptied out an entire city inside of a day." The young man speaks cheerfully as he alights on a rooftop to survey his surroundings. His mood isn't dampened by the state of the city in the slightest.

The young woman huffs from her own vantage point. "How inconvenient, though. We'll have to report back straight away, then run off to who knows where."

The young man looks back toward the Gallian airfleet just in time to see yet another batch of Windstones erupt into a lethal tornado. "Maybe we should wait for the fleet to get closer."

"What do you... Ah." The young woman looks in the same direction just in time to see a few ships shatter in response to the unrelenting winds. "When did they get so fearsome?"

Both have their trains of thought interrupted by a distinct, cheerful humming. They look down to see another member of their group, happily flipping a gold coin in his hand. "Neither of you found anything either, huh?"

"Looks like you've been having fun, Damien!" Comments the young man. "And no, there's neither hide nor hair of the locals. Bit of a shame, really, it would have been fun to see if those Musketeers were any good."

"We're not here to showboat, Bleu!" Damien scolds his sibling, flicking the gold coin high before pointing dramatically at his brother. He then effortlessly catches the coin and pockets it. "Joseph isn't paying us by the body."

"And yet, he seems like the kind of man who would." Bleu shakes his head with his eyes closed while smiling. "Maybe we can negotiate a bonus...?"

"It's a waste of effort. We all know how he is." A hulking man steps out of the same shop Damien had just exited from. He seems to be carrying a sword, though this one seems to be a touch irate.

"First that bulbous-nosed buffoon leaves me behind to go run away, now I'm being stolen by some vagabond! The nerve!" The sword rests in its sheath, though the guard of the blade shifts about as though to simulate speaking.

"This is unusual for you, Jacques. What made you decide to pick up that blade?" Asks the young woman.

"It's magical in nature." Replies Jacques simply.

"Sheffield's already offered a bit of work on the side for any artifacts we pick up. No reason not to loot the valuables that fit the bill!" Damien's tone turns back to cheerful. "Not like anyone will grieve over a few missing things in war."

"Can't argue with you there. Still a bit disrespectful to steal things that don't belong to you." The sword speaks up again, for a lack of anything better to do with its time.

"It's be even more disrespectful to let perfectly good opportunities for bonus pay slip by!" The artifact user extends his pointer finger up for emphasis as he replies.

A few Alviss prance on by, stopping next to the earth-user with their hands outstretched. Jacques wordlessly places the sword in their hands, at which point they carefully scamper away.

The young woman picks up the message held out by one of the last. "Ah, it seems we are to head to La Rochelle next. ...Aaaah~"

"Someone's excited, Jeanette." Bleu's the first to respond, and looks over his sibling's shoulder to read. "A high-priority target, no less!"

"Henrietta de Tristain. She won't be easy to get at, though..." Jeanette thinks to herself for a moment. "We can't just go in full force, not with that dragon there too."

"I don't mind a rematch." States the earth manipulator.

"I'm sure you wouldn't. In fact, that might work out rather well! We only need one person to grab the princess, after all." Damien is already hashing out some kind of plan in his head, which takes his attention away from what's going on in the world around him.

The sudden, loud, and violent eruption of another windstone node snaps everyone to attention shortly afterward.

"I think we should move." Jacques starts heading in the direction of the port city at a walking pace before picking up a considerable amount of speed.

Not wishing to be left behind, the other three siblings follow suit.

=-=

"So, yeah, we kinda wasted some time by faffing about like this." Aoi is busy explaining things to the princess, along with few others in one of the local hotels.

"No, this is actually better than you think. By not skipping over this town, we can save its inhabitants as well." Henrietta is quick to counter the dragon's point, however. She's still in her 'plebian' disguise, as she still feels no real need to change at this point. "And we can rally more of Tristain's air fleet, to boot."

"The Princess has a point, Sir Aoi. While this is an evacuation effort, Gallia's own air fleet will not stop simply because we ask it to. We must at least put that down like the ailing dog it is while we have the chance, or risk being pursued." Wardes makes his own point shortly thereafter.

"True, true." The dragon rubs his chin while considering that point. "Well, if you've got enough people to man the ships, I'll start giving the order to evacuate the civilians so they don't get caught up in this."

"Thank you. I must stay behind to help direct the troops, however. It would be nothing short of demoralizing if I were not there at the front lines at such a desperate stage." The princess makes her own thoughts known.

Aoi simply sighs in responses before leaning against the wall. "Alright, I'm pretty sure I can't talk you out of that. My blood may be silver, but my tongue isn't."

"Thank you. I know this looks foolish to you, but..." The princess starts, but finds herself trailing off when she looks at the dragon's expression.

"It **does** look foolish to me. You're the princess and a skilled mage at that, sure, but you're a high-priority target and _human_." The summon places particular emphasis on the last word. "We're probably going to be fighting things that aren't at best."

"Remember that I have my own guard, which, might I add, Blake has outfitted personally." Henrietta crosses her arms in annoyance. "And Wardes has helped sort out which of the Griffin Knights can be trusted, and which ones cannot. I am not lacking in protection." She then holds out a pendant that has been hanging around her neck, but safely tucked out of sight most of the time. "Additionally, should I need to flee, I can simply use this, can I not?"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point." Aoi looks exasperated at the response. "Any points to make, Wardes?"

"I think the Princess has covered it." States the griffin knight with a small smile.

The dragon scratches his head. "Yeah, but I'm still not comfortable with this. We're dealing with _Joseph_ here. Who knows what he could throw at us?"

No one present could really offer a solid answer.

=-=

Derflinger is not a happy blade at all, no sir. He had been stuck in a barrel, rusting slightly and being unappreciated by both the drunkard of a shopkeep and literally anyone who manages to filter into the small, out of the way shop he spent the last few years in. Then a few ragamuffins come along and steal him, only to hand him off to a bunch of dolls without so much as a courtesy cleaning! From there, a roughly handled trip managed by _gargoyles_ of all things!

And oh no, the constantly erupting tornadoes didn't help things any either. He couldn't tell if he had been thrown around more roughly by the winds or the myriad constructs between him and the air fleet in the sky above him! It was a miracle that some oaf hadn't dropped him, or worse, flung him into a funnel to be shot out into some Founder-forsaken rock to wait for some monarch-to-be to yank him out! He already got stuck doing that once, he wasn't about to be stuck doing that again!

Not that he would have had much say in the matter, what with having no arms or legs with which to move about. Then again, having arms and legs of his own would severely detract from the blade's function of slashing, stabbing, eviscerating, dismemberment, and whatever other services it can offer to the Gandalfr. Such limbs would throw its balance and handling completely off!

In fact, the blade was so busy mentally complaining about its rough treatment, having long since given up trying to voice his grievances to automatons that are neither sentient, let alone sapient, that he completely missed the fact that he is being presented to a Void familiar _other_ than the one he is supposed to work with. It doesn't help that despite having around five-thousand years of experience to go by, he can't really tell whether the situation he's in is good or bad.

In Derflinger's honest opinion, it's part of what makes being a sword such a double-edged... _sword_ sometimes. On the one hand, a sword's life is incredibly simple. Draw blood, help the person you're made for protect what's important to them, be taken care of, and sit about in one's sheath enjoying conversation. The fact that one doesn't necessarily need a real moral compass beyond that helps too. The problem is that it makes it extremely difficult to keep track of current events to make sound judgments as to who one is supposed to try and gravitate towards.

As much as an inanimate blade can gravitate toward anything that isn't a magnet, anyway.

"...Huh. I didn't think for a second that the Siblings would actually _find_ something." Sheffield holds the blade up by the sheath, giving it a cursory once-over. "Whoever your last owner was certainly didn't take care of you very well."

"It was some hawker of wares with no real appreciation for a _real_ weapon. What do you expect?" Despite the odd situation, the blade finds itself responding to the... The blade catches sight of the runes etched into the woman's forehead. The Myoznitnim, the Mind of God. Right type of familiar, but the wrong class. What in the world is he doing in the hands of the artifact-wielder?

"And you talk. I can't tell if that's amusing or irritating." The mind of god smirks as she finishes her once-over. "Well, I can't exactly call myself a weapon connoisseur either. Magical artifacts are more my style." She holds the sheath with one hand, and her hand hovers over the grip. "And _you_ are as magical as they come."

 _Well, this isn't going to end well._ Thinks the blade.

Sheffield grips the blade by its handle, and the blade's mind goes blank as the Myoznitnim runes override its own commands.

The woman unsheathes the blade and lets the light shine on the slightly rusty blade itself. She lets out a low whistle as her runes inform her of the function of the tool in her hand. "Derflinger, sword of the Left Hand of God..." A wicked smile spreads across her face as she realizes precisely what this means. She slowly sheathes the blade. "Ahahaha... Wow. What were the odds of _that_ dropping in my lap like that?"

"The Gandalfr being slain by the very weapon meant to serve him. I couldn't think of a more hilarious form of irony."


	56. Everything Goes to Hell

Henrietta watches the tornadoes in the distance, and could even say that she somewhat felt the power erupting from each as it formed. The ships are getting easier to pick out, but on the flip side the change in retreat tactics means that La Rochelle should be fully evacuated long before they ever become a problem. She can take further solace in that her closest friend is safely away from all of this, and that should any further trouble arise before the fighting starts that her own Musketeers are sufficiently armed to deal with the enemy.

She has also since changed into her armor and has her scepter at the ready should she need it. A few Musketeers and Griffon Knights round out her bodyguards, so as far as personal protection goes she's pretty much set.

"Your Highness, the last of the merchant ships have departed for Albion and are set to rendezvous with a detachment of King Wales' navy for escort. The remainder of King Wales' combat ready ships are headed here to reinforce our own navy." Agnes makes herself known in a business-like manner, with one hand on her pistol in case she needs to draw it.

"Good. With any luck we'll be able to drive off the Gallian navy, or better yet, annihilate what's left of it so that we may push back sooner." The princess gives her response, and though her voice doesn't betray it, her body is somewhat tense. ...Though mentally, she's smiling a bit too. Who would have thought that the prince would survive the Reconquista, let alone become the King of Albion?

"If my services are not required elsewhere, I would prefer to stay by your side, your Highness." The Musketeer Captain makes her preference on the matter known, and the princess can tell that Agnes really would be quite annoyed if she ordered her to do anything else at the moment.

Thankfully, there is nothing that comes to mind for her. "That is fine, Agnes. I believe that we do not have much time left before the fighting starts."

-

The four Elemental Siblings have one very clear-cut goal assigned to them. Get a hold of Princess de Tristain by any means necessary. Normally this would be a relatively easy job given how their powers work, but in all honesty they all have to acknowledge that their work is cut out for them this time. The human defenders are easy enough to deal with, since there's any number of ways to kill quickly and efficiently. Golems? Slightly less so.

Their target being on top of an airship... Well, that just means they have to change their avenue of approach somewhat.

Jacques essentially tore a hunk of earth out of the ground with his magic, Bleu is lifting it up via wind magic, and Jeanette is busy hiding the whole thing with her water magic. Meanwhile, one of Damien's artifacts helps keep the whole shebang from sticking out like a sore thumb to anyone with Detect Magic going. Not an unreasonable assumption since only a first class dolt would leave the leader of a nation that unprotected. Their approach method means that ideally they'd board a ship other than the one their target is on first, hence their approaching a less well-protected ship.

Bleu puts the whole thing down on the ship's deck gently, and allows each of his siblings to get a grasp of who is on board the ship before letting loose. A few dragonriders here and there along with their mounts, the odd mage, and numerous crew members both combat ready and not are either littered about the ship or doing something important. The windstone lode keeping the ship aloft is located below deck, near the center-rear of the ship in what is ideally a reinforced room to lessen the odds of a stray spell or cannonball blasting the whole thing apart. Typical airship design, though not necessarily a bad one.

A crewmember smacks his face into the invisible rock, and is promptly silenced for his trouble. The death went unnoticed for all of four or five seconds before the others went into full alert, and another three before things went to hell for them.

Four attackers quickly become eight thanks to Jacques bringing along enough material to make a few Earth golems out of. No one expects them to last long, but they're just there to cause a distraction. The man himself punches a path below deck, allowing Bleu to slip through before joining his siblings in dealing with the rather irate crew. Jeanette doesn't even bother outright killing anyone she attacks, instead relying on her poisoned blades to incapacitate them and her brothers to clean up should any of them shrug it off.

Any opposing mages quickly found themselves unable to do anything but watch as their assailants take them apart with contemptible ease.

Meanwhile, Bleu is engaging in a time honored tradition of killing people without letting them get a word in edge-wise. As much as he may dislike the approach, forcibly stripping people's lungs of air before impaling them is one of the faster and quieter ways to deal with them. Plus, since his sword doubles as his wand, it's easy to kill two birds with one stone! Though as much as he hates to admit it, the real fun isn't to be found here.

No, the real fun is behind the door he swings open. Every airship has a supply of wind stones to keep it aloft, and a wind mage to help guide it. Which is good for him, because this airship has just lost its guide, and he can easily fill the now vacant role!

-

On the airship's deck, Jacques, Jeanette, and the golems are finishing off the last of the crew members. The deck is spattered in blood, though everyone at least made a token effort to keep things as clean as they can possibly get. "Damien, I think we're ready." The first of the three lets the artifact user know.

"Good thing Sheffield has something like this on hand. Could you imagine trying to do this without it?" Damien sets out a seemingly innocuous and over-sized mirror on the deck, and begins to chant to activate it.

In no time at all, the ship they're on vanishes from view.

Needless to say, this sudden disappearance did not go unnoticed.

"Bleu, get us moving!" Jacques shouts down the hole he made, then proceeds to gather up the available, non-essential metal on the ship. Grates, cannonballs, cannons, if there's anything that won't see any other use, he's using his transmutation to pull it all together and reshape it.

Moments later, the three siblings on deck can feel the wind in their hair, a sure sign that Bleu is on the right track. "This might not be one of our brightest ideas, but it certainly is fun!" The wind user states nonchalantly as he gets back on deck. "Just in time too, looks like they're putting out dragonriders to check what happened."

Jeanette gathers up the knives she had to throw earlier, and takes care to finish off anyone her siblings missed. "The princess can still simply hop on a flying mount to leave, or call that dragon in if she gets spooked too badly."

"Leaders will not abandon their troops so readily." Jacques gives his opinion as he rolls the lump of metal to the bow of the ship. "Good leaders will not, at least." He then focuses on forcing the metal to cover the front of the ship, and uses what precious little extra he has to form spines. With any luck, they'll latch on rather than smash completely through.

Damien notes that the dragonriders are starting to spread out, though it might not just be because of them. He risks a cursory glance in the direction of the Gallian navy and notes that it's getting close. Close enough to spot the individual Gargoyles as pinpricks. The outsider's traps have done a number on their armada, but there's still more than enough there to overwhelm the Tristain navy. After all, only one ship needs to actually survive this, and Sheffield's supply of Gargoyles may as well be infinite.

"Ah, good, no ships in the way. We won't be in for a nice broadside collision though." Bleu's expression is one of mild amusement as he lines up their stolen ship just right. There's a few ships between them and their actual target, but he's managed to find a straight shot so long as nothing moves.

...Which means, of course, now that he's thought of it it has to happen.

A few more minutes pass in silence, and a near-miss later...

"Damien, get one of your offensive artifacts out. They can't evade at this range." Jeanette suggests now that the airship containing Henrietta is getting rather close.

"With pleasure." States the artifact user as he allows the ship to be seen again.

-

Agnes has been feeling a little on edge for the last few minutes, though that most likely has to do with the fact that one of their airships literally vanished from view completely for seemingly no reason at all. She quietly gave the order to prime the port broadside as well as the starboard broadside just in case of yet more unexpected enemy shenanigans. Beyond that, she fully expects things to go pear-shaped incredibly quickly, even with the assistance they have and the reinforcements on the way.

Just a minute more and the first broadsides would be fired at the enemy... Though she can't help but cast a glance down toward the ground, where Skogeazo has already taken up position. A lump forms in her throat as she sees the unidentified war golems running at La Rochelle at a sprint. Two stumble forward comically as oversized, superheated spears impale their legs to the ground, but they quickly identify what happened and change tactics to deal with the new enemy. Three golems break off to engage the serpent dragon, while the remaining _dozen_ keep running forward.

That wouldn't be such a bad thing if it wasn't for the fact that they look as though they're sprinting at the same speed as an ordinary human, simply scaled up.

"Why is one of our ships trying to ram us?!" A Griffon Knight calls out, grabbing the musketeer's attention.

"Princess, you have to lea-" The captain tries to warn her charge, but is cut off by the sudden, violent collision.

She loses her footing and starts sliding down the slanted deck, but there's a rather sturdy guard rail that everyone is more or less successfully landing on if nothing else. The mages are using magic to get their bearings, her Musketeers are using their knives to cut into the wood to gain a stronger hold. She does the same to stop her descent, and the two ships slowly start to even out enough to get her feet back under her.

She uses her free hand to pull out the revolver she had been armed with, and takes as careful aim as she possibly can at anything that might pose a threat. ...Except, she can't quite see anything at first.

A few of her Musketeers have already opened fire, with the Griffon Knights quickly mounting their griffons and offering their support. As much as the Captain may hate to admit it, having someone on hand to catch you if you fall isn't exactly a bad thing. Especially if the mages are actually... somewhat respectful of you.

Then she watches in abject horror as parts of a regular stone golem slam into their ship, taking out part of the railing and knocking a few of the crew members around. Some were even thrown clear off the ship entirely. She readily shoots away the chunk coming for her, noting with grim satisfaction that the hunk of rock has been reduced to a few stray stones. With her feet under her, she rushes to the princess' aid.

Who, admittedly, isn't exactly faring badly. She's focusing on firing off quick yet lethal blasts of water that are putting holes in whatever they happen to impact, though. As for her aim... The Captain tries to track whatever it is the Princess is firing at, and notices that whatever it is, it's moving extremely quickly. Nearly too quickly to track.

Not that that would stop her. Agnes aims her revolver at where she predicts her opponent will go, and is promptly rewarded with a bit of a blood spray. It wasn't a direct hit, but it's enough to get the attention of whoever it is. With any luck it'll force the individual to focus on two enemies rather than just harass the one endlessly.

Unfortunately, her entire body freezes up before she can squeeze in another shot. To her horror, her Princess is similarly stuck. The Captain notices a thin line of blood on Henrietta's cheek, a thrown knife most likely. Most of the others on board the ship aren't suffering the same fate, so whoever is responsible must still be under a lot of pressure.

Then she feels the ship lurch for the second time, sending her tumbling forward but unable to actually stop herself this time. She can tell that the ship is losing altitude... The golems she saw. She completely forgot about them.

...Just like the railing. She forgot about that too.

Her unresponsive body slides down off the ship entirely, but one of the Griffin Knights catches her before she falls far at all. She'll have to thank Wardes for the save later, but in the interim she's more concerned about the Princess. At least the Viscount seems to be barking orders about getting her away from here, but so far it seems like they're getting completely stonewalled progress-wise. Given how she could barely keep track of the first attacker she actually saw, this doesn't surprise her at all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she can swear she sees something just a little too big to be one of the gargoyles joining the 'fun.'

-

Sheffield can't help but laugh uproariously at how this is turning out. The Elemental Siblings can be nothing short of miracle workers at times, albeit this time they have the help of one of her more cumbersome artifacts. The end result is worth it, however, whether she can get it back or not. The enemy flagship denied its broadside shots, much of its crew incapacitated, dead, or fighting for dear life... Her gargoyles swarming the Tristain ships and ever so gradually overwhelming what's there...

Sure, they're also dropping like flies in the process, but a wave of an artifact or two replaces them all handily with fresh bodies to throw into the meat grinder. It'll jam eventually, after all!

The Myoznitnim flings out a few artifact-generated lightning bolts to make the job of securing that posh little princess harder for her enemies. It outright blasts apart bits of the flagship, and thanks to the Jormungandr it's being held nice and steady at an angle too awkward to actually fight on. Hence why she prepared a massive gargoyle to stand on. Still, there's no real sign of her other target... Though she does note with annoyance that that bastard serpent is somehow outright _melting down_ or otherwise halting her war golems every chance it gets. Just when she thinks it's been overwhelmed, it seems to just break free and tear apart everything around it!

Though the fact that it's literally melting the earth does nothing useful for the Jormungandr's traction. "That's something I'll have to fix later." She gripes to herself as she goes back to watching the only relevant show here. She improves her foul mood slightly by blasting the Griffin Knight that was about to catch Henrietta with enough electricity to outright make the knight explode. A gargoyle picks up the slack only to get utterly annihilated itself with a ray of light.

"There you are, you bastard." Sheffield growls under her breath as she watches the dragon gracefully catch Henrietta and open a portal... "Not this time!" She sends another surge of electricity out, nearly blasting the Princess with lethal force as she shoots the strike through the portal itself. She smiles widely as the dragon catches sight of her. "I can at least get _one_ thing done here..."

She nearly loses her balance as her giant gargoyle finds itself being melted by a heat ray fired from Skogeazo, and its wing joints jammed with shards of ice. Two more variables she shouldn't have had to account for, but here she is. Still, her own defenses hold out well enough as she has to ditch her mount entirely and just fly under the power of her artifacts.

On top of that, the Gallian airfleet begins to sail right past her at high speed... well, high speed for an airship anyway. Either way, the broadsides the Tristain fleet can put out there isn't really enough to deal with the Gallian ships, all of which are on a collision course with the enemy fleet. She steps onto one of the ships meant to collide with the Tristain flagship, and happily notes the small, red gem installed right at the front of the ship.

She fires an exploding ice chunk at the ship as a courtesy call to let the Siblings know it's time to bail, then hops off the speeding ship itself and watches as that crashes into the flagship as well, and much less gracefully to boot. Rather than watch the fireworks, she chooses to continue harassing the bastard dragon while not getting _too_ close to the blast radius. As sure as she is that her shields would hold, she's not completely sure that she'd be able to withstand that and whatever else her enemies throw at her.

-

"Goddamn asshat!" Aoi's composure is pretty much gone now that Henrietta has almost been vaporized with a powerful electric surge. Between that and her apparent paralysis, he only barely refrains from saying 'I told you so' as well since he's pretty sure that that, at least, would be a jerk move a this point.

Though with Charlotte and Blake providing support when they can, he's... "Seriously? Did I just pick the wrong move even though it looked right?" He spots the Myoznitnim pursuing him amidst the seemingly endless supply of gargoyles, and widens his eyes in surprise as the airshipwreck that used to be Tristain's flagship suddenly explodes violently. "Oh come **ON**!" He puts more distance between himself and the fallout, noting that everything is more or less going to hell as predicted.

While the war golems are being slowed, stalled, and destroyed, at least a few are able to effortlessly demolish what Tristain ships they can and consume the wind stone loads inside before moving on to the next. He opens a couple of portals next to him and has the turrets on the other side fire through them to just as effortlessly destroy a golem, but between the Myoznitnim shooting every element she can at him and being unable to actually protect himself that well, it's impossible for him to actually assist with that part of the problem.

Then he opens up a portal in front of him, tosses the still paralyzed princess through, hopes he got her landing point right, and flips around to face his opponent. "Okay, seriously. I've had about enough of you."

"What a coincidence! The feeling's mutual." Sheffield replies in an amused tone. "What say we make this our last engagement, hm? You should just find a nice grave to crawl into."

"Sheesh, at least I'd spare you a cremation." The dragon, however, is far more annoyed.

The two stare each other down, but in truth Aoi is simply deciding how he wants to kill the woman in front of him.


	57. One Who Embodies the Void

The Gatekeeper is already focused on the lopsided 'battle' unfolding in the airspace above La Rochelle. It didn't exactly expect the Gallian navy to make a suicide rush against the Tristain fleet, but it has to admit that if you don't care about the wasted resources it's actually quite effective. Loading a few of them up with magic-based explosives will bring at least a few of them down, as well.

Still, this entire debacle is unacceptable.

It strides over the beach sand as it moves to scoop up Henrietta from her resting place, noting that aside from being nearly completely paralyzed she's still able to breathe. She'll likely need treatment, but she's not particularly high-priority as far as the current list of issues goes. The guardian moves back toward the command structure it's using to help guide the flow of battle from.

A couple of lankier clockwork humanoid machines emerge from the entrance, each one clearly designed for sniping. [HOURHANDS, GET THE PRINCESS TO SHAJAL FOR TREATMENT.]

[...?] The first of the two doesn't speak in any immediately recognizable language, but the Gatekeeper can understand it well enough.

[TWO UNITS WILL NOT AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE OF TRISTAIN MUCH.] The guardian states simply as it hands the princess off to the two. [IT'S LITERALLY TO RACK UP A HIGH BODY COUNT ON BOTH SIDES.]

[!] The second points something out.

[...I WISH THE PRINCESS WERE CAPABLE OF SPEECH RIGHT NOW.] Gatekeeper pulls the small black book out of the pocket of Henrietta's armored dress, and flips it open. [BLANK? ...NO. ENCRYPTED.]

The Gatekeeper hands the book up to its shoulder, where it is taken by a hand that is not entirely there.

Sitting on the Gatekeeper's shoulder is a distorted man with an appearance not unlike the two constructs fighting over La Rochelle. His mouth moves as he studies the book, but no words come out. The Founder's Prayer Book can't quite seem to decide on whether or not the being holding it is in fact worthy of its knowledge, and the normally invisible text on its seemingly empty pages fades in and out of view in confusion. Not enough to let the man get a thorough read of each spell as he flips through the book, but enough to let him know which ones to dog-ear for later.

In the meantime, the Hourhands have moved Henrietta from the area for treatment as instructed.

On spell in particular stands out, and the man places his finger on it to use his power to force the Void-aligned text to stay visible. He then speaks wordlessly to the construct.

The Gatekeeper opens up a gate wordlessly, and steps through it.

-

Louise simultaneously understands why she's being kept away from the fighting, and thoroughly despises the fact that she is. Everyone she knows and cares about is busy fighting for the future of Tristain and its people, down to her and Tiffania's familiars! It's not like she doesn't know any proper spells either. Her Mind Shock isn't exactly weak, and seems to go through everything easily enough.

...Though as she looks around, she knows she's really not the only one dissatisfied with how things are going. Big sister Eleanor seems to be simultaneously worried and angry over being separated from her boyfriend. Probably both because he's in harm's way and because she's not being allowed to fight alongside him. It's a little bit odd to her since she knows full well that her big sister is more than capable of handling herself in a fight.

Meanwhile, it seems like Cattleya is walking around fine now. Her older sister is frolicking with all sorts of exotic animals that seem to have flocked to her without a second thought. Blake asked Shajal to just go ahead and do what she can to outright cure the middle Valliere daughter since there's no telling when the war effort will actually end and the construct only insisted on doing things his way because he could devote every waking moment toward finding a cure and a prevention. She could tell that he wasn't happy to take what looked like the easy way out, but he also conceded that he didn't necessarily need Cattleya to stay infested to cure her.

Though in the end, the pinkette can't really stay completely mad at her situation. She's trying to keep her mind off things by listening to Tiffania's music box with the half-elf again in the hopes that they might be able to pick up another Void spell from it. Maybe something that will let them crush Gallia and Germania in one fell swoop and let Aoi and Blake mop up the remains.

She looks to her side, where Tiffania is sitting. The half-elf is content holding the pinkette's hand despite looking plenty worried herself... Though that's not totally right to the youngest daughter. It's more like the half-elf is under stress herself and is looking for whatever support she can get. The two lock eyes for a moment, and the pinkette offers a smile and a gentle squeeze of the hand to the blond. The blond smiles a bit more honestly in turn and seems a bit calmer now.

The bizarre pseudo-peace is promptly broken by the appearance of the Gatekeeper, who manages to attract everyone's attention with the fact that there seems to be someone _riding_ on it.

"Mr. Orion!" Tiffania calls out happily, which catches the man's attention.

The distorted mage looks to the half-elf with a raised eyebrow and speaks wordlessly once again, though his body language conveys a sense of exasperation.

Then it clicks in Louise's head. She's heard this person speak before. "Are you the one who told me I learned Mind Shock?"

The mage known as Orion crosses his arms and gestures with the Founder's Prayer book, seemingly in confirmation. He then starts as he realizes something, and tosses the two Void mages the sacred book and apologizing for making them wait for it like that.

"It's alright, I know you can't stay out like that for very long!" The half-elf is quick to reassure the mage. "I'm just happy to see you again!"

"Again?" Asks the pinkette quizzically.

"Yes, again. Mr. Aoi and Mr. Blake spoke of him at length, but Mr. Orion..." Tiffania pauses for a moment as the mage speaks again. "Ah, Mr. Ezekiel is actually the one who got stuck in the void between worlds." She explains quickly. "Sometimes I get Mr. Ezekiel's name mixed up with the name of the project to get him out of there."

The youngest daughter looks to the mage, who shrugs and speaks again.

"Wait, you wouldn't happen to be the person I was supposed to summon in the first place, would you?" A sudden thought occurs to Louise, who then voices it.

Ezekiel nods in response before speaking and gesturing again.

"Yeah, Aoi said that might be the case." The pinkette agrees.

"...Who are you two talking to?" Asks the eldest daughter as she approaches. "And why isn't the Gatekeeper talking at all?"

The distorted mage opens his mouth and gestures again before slowing down and realizing something.

Tiffania simply giggles in amusement. "Sorry, sorry." She then looks to the eldest daughter. "This is Ezekiel, the mage who got stuck in the Void between worlds. He really isn't that easy to see unless you know what to look for."

"I.. don't see." As much as Eleanor would normally be excited about this kind of bizarre development, she's not exactly in the most inquisitive mood either. "Though I have to assume that there is someone there. Though what about the machine?"

"It's how he speaks normally, I'm guessing? I can kind of hear his voice. It's a little fuzzy for me." Louise responds as she gets to the page the distorted mage pointed out. "Explosion? ...If this weren't a proper Void spell, I'd almost think you were mocking me."

Zeke waves off the complaint.

"To be fair, he's also not like the people you've put up with before." Tiffania interjects in the mage's defense. "He's really trying to help, even if he can't do much."

The eldest daughter feels a smidgen uncomfortable with that given her own role in Louise's development before now. As much as she'd like to move on from that, she still feels guilty over her treatment of her youngest sister.

The mage simply shrugs in response, mostly gesturing this time.

"Don't blame yourself for that! You're still doing what you can!" The half-elf speaks a little louder than usual. She seems a little annoyed, as though she's heard this from him before.

Zeke makes a few more gestures before speaking again.

"Oh, alright." The half-elf looks to Eleanor. "He wants to thank you for helping to take care of Mr. Blake and supporting him."

Eleanor closes her eyes, turns her head away, and huffs in response. " _Someone_ has to be there for that hopeless oaf." Afterwards, she looks back to where her youngest sister is looking. "Still, what is this man even here for?"

The mage breathes in, then speaks and gestures rapidly. Tiffania opens her mouth to start translating until she realizes what he's actually doing, and waits for the void elemental to finish casting. He becomes visible for the time being, and the Gatekeeper goes inert for the moment. [Well, it's mostly to do with Louise and Tiffania.] His voice is coming out of the inert construct, rather than his own mouth. [The battle over La Rochelle has, quite frankly, gone to hell. Their ability to use the Void would go a long way toward ending it before it gets any worse.]

The eldest daughter raises an eyebrow at that comment. "You're able to use the Void yourself, are you not?"

Ezekiel nods sadly. [I am, but it's not as easy for me as you might think.]

Eleanor sighs in response. "Your constructs explained what happened to you before."

The void elemental nods again. [The matter that comprises my body is in a flux state similar to their own, but with one major difference. Rather than being charged with magic to the point where their physicality is malleable, mine is charged with Void...] He pauses while struggling to find the right word to describe it. Eventually he settles on one, albeit spitting the word out in the process. [... _energy_ , for lack of a better and not paradoxial term.]

He starts up again shortly thereafter. [Make that two major differences. I can't recharge my power naturally like they can theirs. The Void wiped out my ability to recharge my power on my own since it seems to erase anything else. My condition simultaneously places me in a position of great power, and one of uselessness.] He crosses his arms and taps his forearm in an irritated manner. [I cannot use any Void magic of great power directly without destroying myself.]

Tiffania takes over for the moment. "Any use of it drains him. He wasn't _ever_ meant to wield it."

Louise finishes studying the Prayer Book and looks to the void elemental. "I'm willing to cast the Explosion spell."

Zeke looks to the pinkette and nods. [Thank you, and I'm sorry for letting things get this bad to begin with.] He then looks to Eleanor. [I know you have a great many more questions, and I know that I have acted, and still act, in a sub-optimal manner. Irrationally. Passively. Left people to fend for themselves when they should not have had to. I will answer them, and for them, after this has been concluded.]

"Just go, already. If you need Louise's help that badly, I have to assume that there is no time to waste." The eldest daughter dismisses the mage with a wave of her hand.

The mage vanishes from view, and the Gatekeeper reactivates. [THERE ARE STILL A FEW MORE SHIPS THAT YOU CAN CAST FROM. I WILL ATTEMPT TO LOCATE THE SAFEST ONE.] It moves to allow Louise to ride on its shoulder, then gates out.


	58. Fickle Fortune

The scene above La Rochelle is absolute chaos. While the Albion navy is inbound and nearly within firing range, there is simply not much left to reinforce or even save. The Tristainian navy's command chain is in shambles, and between the impossibly swift war golems, the suicidal airship charges, and the myriad gargoyles that can evade the bulk of the glorified train wreck and swoop in to pick off anyone too distracted to fight effectively it seems as though they aren't about to get a coordinated effort going again anytime soon.

Airship wreckage crashes down upon the once prosperous airport town, sometimes in mere wrecks, sometimes in pieces, sometimes in flaming hunks, all dealing considerable amounts of damage to the buildings and other structures. King Joseph's strategy, while a whole-hearted waste of good resources, is proving to be an effective way to eliminate the Tristainian navy while also dealing a heavy blow to an otherwise safe area.

In the distance, the cyclones still rage despite not having any purpose or direction anymore. The skies above begin to darken as the out of control wind magic starts to pull in a cloud cover around the city. Yet at the center of this, the sky remains bright and clear with rays of light shining down upon an otherwise gruesome display. The work of the Gandalfr, throwing his weight around in a hectic, mid-air battle against his foe.

It is this scene upon which Louise finds herself gaping at.

She has, of course, heard all the stories and tales about battles and war. About honorable battles, desperate struggles, and triumphant victories. She takes a deep breath to calm herself as she remembers one other important factor in all of this. The simple fact that the Mad King _has_ no honor.

She begins to chant the words for the Explosion spell, using what Ezekiel gave her to both empower the spell and focus it in such a way that only the enemy will come to harm.

The void elemental takes some solace in the fact that despite being useless as a Void mage, his wisdom will have a meaningful impact.

-

As much as Sheffield may not want to admit it, picking up Derflinger has put her in a very awkward spot. While it could very easily rend the magic from the Gandalfr's hide, there is one other issue that she hadn't really considered too much prior to this point.

Namely, the small problem that for all her expectations and predictions about how a weapon-wielding Void familiar _should_ behave, the current Gandalfr happens to be just as skilled with magic as he now is with any weapon. To put it more simply, he won't sit still and he won't close the distance to give her so much as a single opening. The Myoznitnim grinds her teeth slightly as she uses her sword to soak up yet _another_ focused ray of light launched at her with barely any warning. "Get back here and actually _fight_ me, you twitchy bastard!"

To say that she's more than a little frustrated and annoyed is an understatement.

"What, and run the risk of letting you poke me with whatever your new toy is? I'll pass." Despite the utter din of battle, the Gandalfr's voice comes through clearly. A benefit of being able to manipulate the wind, no doubt. Though the servant can tell that something's off about his presence, at least compared to normal.

The black wind swirling around the Gandalfr's body is somehow even more potent and wrathful than usual, to the point where lesser magic cannot penetrate the barrier at all. Sheffield can even hazard a fairly safe guess as to why he's throwing up something like that too. The gargoyles can't get within striking distance of him without getting thrown away like so much trash, and she has to push her artifact supplies harder than usual to get past it.

Factor in how he's all but warping around the area, and his strategy becomes clear. He's trying to wear down her power through attrition as opposed to a direct confrontation, which hadn't worked in the past. The part that infuriates the Mad King's servant is the simple fact that she knows full well that if he can keep this level of power up long enough, she won't be able to keep her own defenses up and he'll finish her off effortlessly.

A few more lightning bolts are thrown the Gandalfr's way, and unlike the last time his barrier is more or less able to absorb or deflect the bolts effortlessly. "...Tch. Here I was thinking I actually had this scenario planned out well enough." Sheffield growls out as she keeps one hand on a defensive artifact and another on Derflinger, ready to draw upon both on a moment's notice. In truth, she does have **one** last trick up her sleeve to call upon before calling it a day. "Guess I just have to go with plan b then."

Sheffield draws upon the magic Derflinger has stored in itself from repeated blocking of magical attacks, and preps another Wind element artifact herself. Rather than use a massive ranged attack, she readies the blade and suddenly blasts forward with great speed. So much so, that she's not only able to close the gap between herself and Aoi, but swing the sword right through his wind barrier and land the first actual blow of the battle.

It's just a glancing hit on the dragon's arm, but it's more than enough to keep the empowerment going.

The dragon looks at his partly skinned forearm in surprise before speeding away again. "Okay, I'll admit that's a cute little trick you've got there." Red blood flows from the wound, though unlike any other time he's been struck in such a way, it seems to revert to silver extremely slowly this time.

Sheffield finally finds reason to smile amidst this mess. It seems that for all her troubles, she actually has found something that can hurt the construct in a meaningful way. She speeds toward the dragon again, only to find her wild slash blocked by a much more coherent block. The dragon put a black metal blade between himself and the Myoznitnim's blade this time. "But don't get cocky." The dragon's own gaze is enough to make lesser individuals soil their trousers. His eyes are that of Arenkon's this time, and they speak of the being's anger.

Aoi's Gandalfr runes glow a powerful green to emphasize just which Void familiar he is, and he effortlessly overwhelms Sheffield's strike and not only forces the servant back, but speeds forward to deliver swift blow after swift blow on the Mind of God's artifact-fueled shields. Each strike serves to force the servant back more and more while the Myoznitnim finds herself unable to mount a significant retaliation from where she is.

She in turn moves with the momentum of one of the sword strikes and flings herself clear across the battlefield to put more distance between herself and her opponent.

Then she hears the ringing of cannon fire as the Albion navy makes its entrance. Cannon shots impact anything left flying with a Gallian flag decorating it, each one managing to somehow curve around allies to strike only the enemy. She finds herself needing to evade a few shots herself, and comes to the conclusion that they must have put together a few wind mages specifically to guide the cannon shot. In her haste to evade the shots, she realizes that she's lost track of her actual opponent.

Her answer of where he's gone is answered when a cannonball slams into her shields and sends her screaming toward the ground at a rate far faster than any cannon could manage. At least two of her artifacts outright short out from the strain as she tries to correct her descent in time, but fails to compensate for the sheer speed involved before she slams into the ground.

Somehow, it seems as though her artifacts have managed to hold. Sheffield manages to pick herself up off the ground shakily while groping around for a different artifact. A simple pendant with a white chameleon's eye in the middle of it. Once she has it, she starts lifting herself out of the crater she made upon impact and conceals herself completely. At this stage, it's clear that her advantage, while great, simply isn't enough to decide the battle favorably.

She tosses behind another artifact behind her for good measure, one meant to produce a fake body of the wielder. If nothing else, perhaps she can fake her own death long enough to get the element of surprise back for the next time.

A few more cannon shots impact the ground behind her, spurring her on as she flees back toward her master. Thankfully he's had the common sense to turn tail and run long before things went too far south, likely helped along by the Elemental Siblings if the fact that she can't even see his ship is any indication.

Though in her flight, something came to mind to her. If she struck the Gandalfr hard enough to make him bleed...

She looks down at her sword.

Silvery-red blood.

The roller coaster of emotions that this battle has been has officially ended on a high note in Sheffield's eyes. Not because she's proven that the dragon can be made to bleed, no.

It's because she finally has just enough of a sample from the construct to perhaps do something to finally level the playing field.

Then the sky briefly lights up intensely as a massive magical explosion engulfs what's left of the Tristainian and Gallian navy. When the light dies down, she risks looking up only to see that there is no trace of her gargoyle army, nor any trace of any remaining Gallian ships, nor any trace of the few remaining Jormungandr. Outside of the ruin and destruction, it's like the Gallian fleet never existed at all.

Sheffield starts limping along again, then running. Her good mood has already fouled again, and it will take time before she can get back to her master.


	59. Aftermath

The battle above La Rochelle has reached a curt, unsatisfying end for all involved. The remainder of the Tristain navy and the people who survived the brutal, suicidal onslaught managed to land their ships about as gracefully as possible to sort out who and what could be saved and what were lost causes. The total damage is catastrophic, with the broken dead scattered about and parts of the city in flames, if it isn't demolished. The Albion navy has come to provide relief to the weary survivors.

While it is nothing short of disgraceful to leave the dead, there is also the looming threat of two armies marching in on them at any moment. Though in reality, everyone present knows that just one of the two could wipe out what's left of the Tristainians present. As a result, the survivors are loaded up onto the undamaged Albionian ships while the remaining serviceable Tristainian ships are sent back into the air.

Truly, the area looks as though the end times had come.

Aoi's efforts result in the fleet being able to move through the rapidly destabilizing wind patterns with relative ease. As it turns out, the wind stone powered cyclones simply aren't fading away with dignity, and are instead only growing in intensity as they burn through their supply of wind magic. It's impossible to determine how far-reaching the effects might be, or how much damage it will do in the meantime. In fact, only one thing is certain. In a few hours, there will be a truly terrifying storm blocking any and all pursuit, save those with powers comparable to the dragon guiding the combined navy.

Several key members of both governments and a few others of note have convened within King Wales' cabin, sitting or standing around a desk that is a touch too small for official business. Granted, they largely lack the supplies for such things anyway, and with the windows deliberately rendered opaque via magic it's possible for them to focus on the matters at hand with a slightly more objective mindset than if they had had the looming, growing chaos behind them to look at every few seconds.

Still, it's a depressing mood.

"I am not sure that could have gone much better." Wardes is the first to voice his thoughts on the matter. "The Mad King's tactics were simply beyond sensible comprehension."

"I am just glad there are even survivors to collect." Wales is the next, his expression one of concern as he looks to his former sweetheart. "And you being poisoned mid-battle, Henrietta? Are you well?"

"Physically, yes." The princess replies simply. "Emotionally, no. I am not well." The facade of queenly steel and resolution has shattered completely, leaving Henrietta looking far more vulnerable than anyone in the room is used to seeing her. "It is fortunate that this is being held away from those who would lose hope at the mere sight of me."

Agnes' face is an open book, and her thoughts on the matter are incredibly clear without her saying a word. She feels as though she has failed her lady, and her current mood reflects that.

"It's unsightly, but understandable. I don't think any of us are in high spirits after that debacle." One of the remaining Tristainian generals speaks his mind on the matter. "Your father would be hard pressed to do any better, for what little it's worth. Those of us who are left will not blame you for this."

Henrietta's breath hitches slightly. "Thank you..."

Blake enters the room in a nonchalant fashion, looking somewhat worse for wear. He's somewhat distracted by the eldest Valliere daughter, who is fussing over his current state out of concern. "I told you, I'm every bit as durable as Aoi. I won't recover as fast as he will, but these wounds won't even slow me down."

"And that's _exactly_ why I will continue to worry about you!" Eleanor snaps in response, keeping a firm hold of the construct. "Honestly, how many of those war golems did you attempt to take on alone? The fact that you had to make your surroundings resemble an active volcano tells me that you bit off too much!"

"I was literally the only one capable of even handling them in the first place!" The construct replies in an annoyed manner before looking around at where they are. "...My apologies. It seems I haven't payed enough attention to my surroundings."

"Sir Blake, I presume? Louise has spoken of you somewhat." The general is the first to respond, allowing the quarrel to slide given the circumstances. "I can only imagine how much worse off we'd be if you weren't present."

"Strictly speaking, if we-" Blake starts up, but is cut off by the eldest daughter.

"Oh, shut **up** about that. One, it's a what-if scenario at best. For all we know, Joseph intended to invade Tristain one way or the other. Two, just take solace in the fact that you've managed to save as many lives as you did." Eleanor slaps the construct on the back of the head, knocking him forward somewhat. "And if we didn't have you, we wouldn't have any progress toward clearing up the Wind Stone crisis, which I should point out would have done exponentially greater amounts of damage if left unchecked."

"He's taking this about as well as her Highness, I presume." Wardes speaks up again in response.

Eleanor's eyes snap to Henrietta's pitiful state, which causes her expression to soften. "Indeed. Blake's taken a personal interest in the safety of the people of Tristain, or at least sees this disaster as his responsibility to guide us through."

"It's a good thing most of the other nobles who agree with you on that point are conveniently incapacitated or dead. The last thing her Highness needs is a shouting match between finger-pointing snobs who can't simply be glad that there's anything left of them to argue _with_." The unnamed general interjects.

The construct sighs before steadying his breath. While not immediately obvious, there's still a bit of a heat shimmer each time he exhales. "That brings me to the point I wanted to report on. The Hourhand-class and Minutehand-class automatons have successfully destabilized the command structure of both armies that invaded the city of Tristain. Neither side expected to be assassinated from at least a hundred yards away by conventional firearms."

"And the city itself?" Asks the princess.

Blake hesitates momentarily. "It's a lost cause. I highly suspect that the Gallian army was left with instructions other than to occupy the city. Most of it is up in flames."

"What about the surrounding areas?" Though still vulnerable, Henrietta is at least attempting to put aside her sorrows long enough to hear that the construct has to say.

"It varies, but reports are still pouring in. The Gatekeeper has dispatched as many scouts as it can handle and is overseeing the status of the land personally." Blake crosses his arms and looks somewhat uncomfortable. "We suspect that neither side was particularly civil in dealing with those in their path."

Henrietta grits her teeth slightly before burying her head in her hands. While it's hard to see, it's clear that she's starting to cry.

Wales places a hand on the princess' shoulder to try and comfort her, his own expression one of clear concern. He looks to the construct. "Is there _any_ good news?"

"Aside from the fact that those we've relocated to Albion being in good health and in good hands, there's little. It seems other locations have been evacuated to the best of the abilities of those present, such as the Magic Academy and Research Academy. I'm also directing shock troops to them to round them up and get them to safety with Eleanor's help." The construct explains, barely able to keep the stress out of his own voice.

No one wants to speak the other, obvious conclusion that could be drawn from all this. That Tristain _itself_ may be a lost cause. The sheer damage to its cities and territories, whilst the full extent of it is unknown to all but two of those present, means that a significant portion of the once proud nation's infrastructure is simply gone, or otherwise in no state to be used. Reconstruction will most likely take years, and the nation's sovereignty will no doubt be thrown into question in the meantime.

The princess stands up somewhat unsteadily, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Your Highness?" Agnes' eyes snap to her charge.

"I just need some air." The princess replies simply, her voice shaking somewhat from the sheer effort involved in maintaining what modicum of calm she can manage. "I will not reject your presence should you follow me."

The musketeer captain nods in response, and escorts the princess out of the cabin.

Silence reigns over the room for a small while.

"Sir Blake." Wardes speaks up.

"I know. We need to take care of Joseph. Soon." Rather than calm down, it seems Blake's rage has simply become an undercurrent in his mind. "Aoi reported an _actual_ minor injury gained from his fight with the Myoznitnim. It seems that the Mind of God has some blade capable of absorbing magic. Not enough to pose a true threat to him, mind."

"The harm comes from the fact that Sheffield now possesses a sample of the material that the two of you are comprised of." The griffin knight continues grimly.

"And since we do not have a body, nor even pieces of one, we cannot presume that she was actually killed during Aoi's final volley." The construct huffs in annoyance. "She's a slippery bastard."

"We can approach this in due time, Blake. Another few days and we'll have enough firepower to take the fight to them." Eleanor's own expression softens further as she puts an arm around the construct's middle and holds him against her.

"I know, I know..." Blake seems to deflate somewhat from the contact.

"Well, as you can see you're on your own for that one. We cannot presume that we know the full extent of the Mad King's military might, nor can we assume that he doesn't have yet more cards to play on the table." The general interjects. "We Tristainians need to lick our wounds."

"I fully expect Albion and Tristain both to remain absent from this fight. Your people have suffered enough." The construct replies.

"We will continue to support our allies as much as possible, make no mistake." Wales' voice develops a determination of its own once he speaks up again. "I wish you good fortune in your efforts, Sir Blake."

"Thank you, King Wales. I suspect we will need all that we can get." Blake nods in response before the eldest daughter starts tugging him from the room.

-

Princess Henrietta steps out onto the deck of the Albionian flagship, her ability to appreciate the admittedly stunning vista somewhat marred by her own sorrowful state of mind. She steps forward, not truly acknowledging those around her, or even the musketeer captain who refuses to allow her charge to leave her sight. While little of this could be seen as her fault, the fact of the matter remains that Henrietta almost feels as though something is breaking inside of her.

Everyone knows that she has been pushed into the role of ruler too soon. Everyone knows that her mother should have taken over for her father when he passed on. That has been used as both something to attack her with, and something to give her slack with. Had this not happened, it wouldn't even be worth noting. However, she feels a great deal of personal responsibility for what has just transpired.

Her people have suffered because of her own inexperience and personally perceived inadequacy. The battle no doubt soured more than it would have otherwise because she was disabled so soon into the fight, and was saved only because Louise's familiar had jumped in soon enough. Had he not done so, she has no doubt in her mind that she might have been brought face to face with the Mad King himself without so much as a wand to defend herself with.

She shakes her head. That's not the point, to her. The point being that she couldn't be the ruler her people needed in their darkest hour. She had expected her opponent to fight in a direct manner, and she was all but stabbed in the back without ever fully realizing what happened for her trouble. She only caught a glimpse of the carnage as it unfolded, but she knows full well that the Mad King's tactics weren't even about winning. At least not in a conventional manner.

It was about causing her as much pain and suffering as possible.

After all, Sheffield had said that he wanted to see how she'd break.

What better way to accomplish that than to render her useless, and slaughter the people she's supposed to lead while she's helpless?

A dark part of her mind contemplated jumping the railing, but she knows it'd be useless. For one, there'd be someone to stop her, or to catch her. Another point is that it's a cowardly move that would destroy the hope of her people. A move that really _would_ cement how useless she actually feels. Even though Cardinal Mazarin could lead without her. Strictly speaking, she's not even needed anyway.

It wouldn't help.

Tears start to trickle down her cheeks as she remembers her best friend amidst those thoughts, and imagines Louise's possible reaction to such an outlandish idea.

It's enough to get her moving again.

She reaches the front of the ship, where Aoi sits in a meditative pose. His presence is almost otherworldly in its current state, with his using his stored power to stabilize the wind currents to get them to Albion safely more quickly. It's... serene-looking. A calm amidst the chaos, a guiding force for those who seek it.

The princess can't help but laugh under her breath a bit. She still doesn't know him _that_ well, but he seems like the type to have never imagined himself becoming a beacon of hope. Hated for disturbing the status quo so violently, yes, but not looked up to like that.

Maybe it's just in her head, though. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, that perhaps _he_ could take her place. Or Wales. He's not a bad ruler by any stretch.

Maybe she's being selfish, she thinks, and what she truly wants is based on what it is that Louise has that she herself wishes she has.

She stands behind the dragon, and drops to her knees.

After all, what Louise summoned was liberation, in a way. A way to throw off the shackles of her old life, to dispel the sense of hopelessness and uselessness that the pinkette had held onto, or perhaps had been gripped by, for so long. A way to discard old stigmas and move on to a better life.

The princess presses up against the dragon's back and wraps her arms around him. He looks back to check who it is, and smiles in an understanding manner.

It's stupid of her in her mind and thoughts, selfish, really. Maybe even moreso than ending her life here and now. Who is she, to want to throw away her role as a ruler, to simply throw away the weight she carries on her shoulders? So many people depend on her that the mere idea of living selfishly for once may as well be an unforgivable crime.

She holds the dragon tighter, and in turn he clasps one of her hands in his before intertwining her fingers with his.

There's one voice in the princess' mind that resents all that, however. She was born into the role, and raised to be what she is since day one. Not once did anyone ask her what she wanted out of life, not _once_ did anyone ever consider that shoving her into such a role so early would be cruel. That demanding that she, a fledgling monarch, a teenager, be as good a ruler as her father with no experience at all, and attacking her every chance they get with words, subterfuge, and force because they covet her role is monstrous.

If those foolish nobles want her role as queen so badly... still, who would want it after this?

All the recent stress is getting to the princess, and makes her momentarily wonder why she's seeking comfort from the person who is arguably responsible for all of this to begin with instead of literally anyone else.

...Because in the selfish part of her mind, he is Louise's familiar. Her freedom given form, and perhaps by holding him for a while, she can feel at least a facsimile of what her best friend does.

Or perhaps because she coveted him for herself this entire time after he set her free from her gilded cage for a little while.

Maybe it's simpler.

Maybe it's just because the wind surrounding him conveniently muffles the sounds of her crying her eyes out into his hair, and obscures her form ever so slightly. Because he won't judge her for it, and simply stay there with her until she gets a hold of herself. ...A little like what Louise herself might do for her.


	60. Cooling Off

Matilda assists and directs a number of different clockwork automatons and more major pieces of magitech mhacinery as she walks around the perimeter of a hangar. She's taken some time out from working on the heat manipulation unit that has been codenamed Maxwell to try and help speed up the production of an airship. All in all, aside from various little redesigns and testing the whole thing has been working out rather well.

It's also useful to help keep the former noble's mind off other matters.

"Ah, there you are, Matilda!" The earth mage snaps her attention to her younger sister when she hears the half-elf's voice. "You really should take a break every now and again, you know."

The earth mage rolls her eyes slightly as her little sister chides her, but she knows full well that Tiffania has a point. "I know, I know. I'm just making sure everything's on track since we're going to need this thing sooner rather than later."

The half-elf looks to the gleaming metal airship with a mixture of awe and melancholy. "I wish that this ship wouldn't be needed for things like that..."

"One day, it won't be." Matilda ruffles her little sister's hair with an affectionate smile. "So, how are those two basket cases holding up?"

"Matilda! That's mean!" Tiffania huffs at her big sister's attitude, but doesn't pursue the matter since she knows full well that she just likes giving the constructs grief. "That aside, Mr. Blake is almost always angry lately. I know it's not directed at us, but it's worrying to see his breath when he's like this."

Matilda nods as she whips out and taps at a pad. "I know what you mean. If he starts breathing fire without being aware of it, it means he'll probably do something stupid." She puts the device away and starts to walk with her sister. "I know Aoi's harder to read though. He rarely ever drops that 'devil may care' attitude of his."

"He's worried too. He's invested in the well-being of the people of the Brimiric nations as a whole, so having to do what he did..." The half-elf trails off as the two board an elevator bound for the surface.

"I still think he cares too much too easily." The earth mage frowns as she thinks. "We're over a thousand miles out from the Halkeginian coastline and utterly divorced from the conflicts there. Plus, it's not like we can't just build our lives up here." She sighs after that. "It'd be better if we just straight-up didn't get involved."

Tiffania smiles sadly. "But you know we would have anyway."

"Can't say I'm ever going to _thank_ that half-pint for pulling Aoi smack into the middle of her problems." Matilda grumbles as they step out into the midday sun, her eyes gradually adjusting to the natural light. "It's like that dope just can't leave pitiful young women alone."

Tiffania giggles as she catches sight of Eleanor hosing down Blake in the distance. Considering that a fair bit of steam is rolling off him, she must be trying to cool him down in the literal and metaphorical sense. Given how he's flailing and running, it must be working on some level. "I don't know... I like how lively it's gotten around here. Having friends _and_ family is nice."

The earth mage sighs in defeat at that statement. "I know, I know. There's always a lot of space around here, and not enough people to fill it up. Still, I can't say I dislike how it was before this campaign started. The nobility just keeps inventing new forms of petty drama to drag other people down with."

While the half-elf would love nothing more than to chide her big sister on that matter, she knows the why of her sister's words. After all, it was the Albion nobility that exterminated their old family very nearly down to the man, with her mother, herself, and her adoptive big sister only being saved by pure chance. The national religion would have mandated that she herself be executed for heresy, as well as her mother, simply for the crime of existing.

The Void offers her some measure of protection, and Blake himself offers her more than she could ever feel is necessary. "...Don't forget about my mother's people." She concedes quietly, and sadly.

Matilda holds her little sister close. "I know. Those bastards have the worst timing." She scowls as she remembers the reports from that fight. Blake had won, but it's clear that the elves would have an exponentially greater chance of defeating him than normal humans, or even normal human mages. "You have way too big a heart to ever let anyone use Blake as a weapon, and since you're his master, you have the final say in what happens to him."

Tiffania feels the heat rising in her face as she's reminded of that. "I-I certainly don't want that much leverage over him like that..." She pushes her index fingers together out of embarrassment the more she thinks about it.

The transmuter laughs openly and honestly in response. " _That_ much? So you do want him like that." She can't help but grin as she gives her little sister a hard time over it.

"You're no different!" The half elf huffs in annoyance as she crosses her arms.

"Guilty as charged." Matilda shrugs in an amused manner. "Though, honestly, for a construct both Blake and Aoi seem to have a knack for attracting women. How many people are into each of them, again?"

"Well, let's see..." The half-elf puts a finger to her cheek as she waits for her sister to open a garden gate. "Mr. Aoi has Louise, Charlotte, Ms. Cattleya, Ms. Kirche, and I think a few others after him now. Mr. Blake has the two of us, and Ms. Eleanor at least." She goes from tapping her cheek to tapping her lips in thought. "But it never feels like it's on purpose."

The transmuter snorts in amusement as she follows her sister in. "I don't think Aoi's even fully conscious of what happens when you just start helping people all willy-nilly like he does, and Blake... I think he'd like to think he knows what he's doing, but I honestly don't think he does." She catches sight of Shajal, who seems to be tending to some flowers with the help of a few spirits. "Hey, mom."

"Ah, welcome back to the land of light, Matilda." The motherly elf can't help but tease her adoptive daughter a little as she gets up. "Blake handled lunch personally this time around, but he got so fired up that Ms. Valliere had to help him cool down."

"He's obviously angry about the battle of La Rochelle and the stunts Joseph managed to pull. Honestly, I wouldn't have put him anywhere near a stove." Matilda shrugs as she pulls up a chair for her little sister, then herself.

"For the record, I used magic to heat everything up that needed it." Blake walks in, still sopping wet. His appearance is akin to that of a soaked cat trying to maintain its regal demeanor, but failing horribly. "Though I will concede that I'm not exactly in the best frame of mind."

"Perhaps you and Ms. Valliere need some privacy to sort that out then, rather than our company?" Shajal suggests innocently as she seats herself as well.

Eleanor sputters in response, while Blake rolls his eyes in an exasperated manner and saves the eldest daughter from having to respond. "We'll engage in such activities when we're mutually ready for it, not before, and certainly not in a heat of the moment type thing." He frowns a bit in response as he gates in lunch onto the table. "Honestly, Aoi's been a horrible influence on you three."

"Speaking of Aoi, how is he doing?" The motherly elf asks.

"He's currently helping Louise comfort Henrietta. The ruler needs the support given how much she's just been put through." The construct sips some tea after that.

"How bad is it over there?" Asks the transmuter.

"Bad enough that it almost feels like we traded off the devastation the Reconquista would have wreaked upon Albion for something even worse. A significant amount of Tristain's infrastructure and population have been damaged or destroyed outright. The capital is gone, and La Rochelle is worthless until the Windstone storm dies down." Blake recounts in a concise manner. "It's just my uninformed decision, but I believe that Tristain's sovereignty is in question now."

"And her Highness has been placed under a great deal of strain because of that. Her entire life has revolved around being groomed for the role of being queen, and that role has effectively collapsed out from beneath her." Eleanor continues the exposition. "Fate has not been kind to her."

"So basically, she could easily have a place here, then." Matilda quips before munching on a small sandwich.

Tiffania lightly kicks her sister's leg under the table.

"In all honesty, yes. In fact, at this rate I think Henrietta wishes for nothing more than to stop being the princess. If Tristain cannot be salvaged by its own monarchy, it could be placed under someone else's control and the point would become moot." Rather than be annoyed by that, Blake affirms Matilda's thoughts on the matter. "Though as it stands, at this point I'm just trying my best not to jump the gun and start blowing up Gallia."

"And you shouldn't. Joseph's just one person, and it's pretty clear that most of his people hate him." Matilda gestures with a fork as she speaks. "I don't think anyone would be angry if he suddenly got replaced by someone more sensible and sane. That being said, the Skycutter's just shy of being completed, and we have to assume that he'll have had time to make something worth using it against." She looks to Eleanor next. "So you, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid in case we can't stop him. His rage can get the better of him, and you're one of the only people who can make him snap back to normal almost instantly."

"Excuse me." Blake sounds rather annoyed.

"I would have done that with or without you telling me. It's clear he's hopeless." Eleanor replies coolly.

"I can keep myself in check, thank you very much." The construct replies in an annoyed manner.

The two mages simply stare at him for a few moments before resuming their banter.

Blake sighs while Tiffania laughs lightly at his predicament.


	61. World's Shortest Voyage

The next few days are a blur for a few of the people involved. The finishing touches for both the airship Skycutter and the temperature control unit Maxwell are completed inside of this time frame, and Henrietta manages to calm down enough to resume her previous role as ruler. Though given the circumstances, she's mostly spending her time trying to keep her people from losing hope completely since there is next to no administrative work to take care of. King Wales assists her as much as he can in this regard, but the reality of the situation is still a bitter pill to swallow for the people who have lost their homes.

The Romalian forces have managed to engage and route the heavily weakened Gallian army despite the trouble they faced simply getting there. Blake gave the support of his own clockwork forces, which contributed to this win greatly. The other major factor is that the battered Germanian army has received new orders directly from Albrecht the Third to attack the Gallian army to the best of their abilities. With the sudden appearance of Gerhild the Firestorm on their side, what would have been a tough battle wound up turning into a relatively simple affair.

Military-wise, Gallia has lost nearly everything it threw into the ring. Unsurprisingly, Joseph may not actually care.

Little more could be done, however, given how much the nation has been devastated overall and how the survivors have been evacuated entirely.

-

Charlotte sits with her back against Sylpheed, her enjoying a new book and the morning sun simultaneously. Her familiar seems to be dozing off a little, though the ice mage keeps her dragon from nodding off completely. She looks up every now and again, and eventually catches sight of Aoi.

The dragon appears next to her almost instantly after he notices her, and both the mage and the Rhyme Dragon get up from their seated position.

There's an unspoken, if not uneasy understanding between the two. While the construct wishes for the ice mage to refrain from joining in on the assault against Joseph, fact of the matter is Charlotte would find her way smack into the middle of it one way or the other. Neither one will allow the other to face the threat without them.

The two make their way to the Skycutter, taking their time by walking since there's no reason to rush there. Not since there's a few more people who need to be loaded in.

-

Gerhild is lounging in the airship's captain's chair, swirling around some wine inside of a wine glass before unceremoniously downing it in one go. Her mixture of appreciation and irreverence for the drink held within is mostly to irritate some of those around her. Plus her straight-up sitting where she's not supposed to to begin with. "Now _that_ was the most fun I've had in ages. Karin, dear, you really never cease to amaze." She looks toward the disgruntled Heavy Wind with a sideways glance and a wink.

"I would still rather refrain from doing that sort of thing again." Karin states cooly as she stands off to the side. "We were fortunate that King Joseph had not placed any real security around Albrecht."

"My dear, I believe that your standards cannot be met by most people." The Archduke Valliere states somewhat warmly in response to his wife. "The two of you combined were almost more a natural disaster in mage form than anything else."

"Oh, don't go selling yourself short there, Mr. I-Can-Implode-Castles." Gerhild looks to her rival's husband and speaks teasingly. "You are right though, I don't think anyone truly expected the three of us to come knocking." She then frowns in thought. "Though given who we're about to deal with, I'd have to say that poor Albrecht was just a diversion."

"That barbarian. Poor." Karin raises an eyebrow at the exclamation.

"He faced _us_ , Karin~" The Firestorm trills back.

"Ladies, gentlemen, while this is a fascinating subject this is hardly the time to banter about political systems." Blake makes his entrance while wearing what could only be described as magitech powered armor. He unceremoniously shoos the potent fire mage off his spot, who in turn only lazily vacates it like an overgrown cat.

"...Considering the extent of your power, is that suit even remotely necessary?" Asks the Archduke first.

"Well, yes and no." The captain crosses his arms as he begins his explanation. "Under most circumstances I would not need such armor. However, with the Myoznitnim in possession of at least one anti-magic weapon, it stands to reason that I guard myself against it should I come up against it."

"Since it would be more effective against you than any of us. The armor itself is not magical in nature?" The earth mage notes.

"The parts that would come into contact with enemy weaponry, no." The construct clarifies.

"Not a bad solution, but given how many high-profile individuals are present here I can't see how this could go poorly." Gerhild notes while leaning against a wall.

"If I could interject..." Eleanor makes her appearance next, and is clad in a similar armor suit. This one is most certainly a custom fit designed to compliment her abilities. "The Mad King has a sample of the same magically-charged matter that Aoi and Blake are both comprised of. From what I understand, it may be possible for them to create more of it for their own use."

"Given how they've had about a week, I could easily see them amassing enough to experiment with. That being said, Charlotte has spoken of Gallia's hidden research before and I believe that we may be going up against horrors beyond what we've dealt with at this point. Whether they are effective or not is another matter entirely, however." Blake continues on from there. "I want to get her opinion on things before we reach our target."

"Come to think of it, do we even _have_ a target destination?" The Firestorm interjects.

Blake nods as he brings up a holographic map of Gallia. "Here. Charlotte has been thrown into lethal scenario after lethal scenario prior to Aoi rescuing her, and she is fairly knowledgeable about where the research facilities are or could be. If we get a confirmed response out of any of them, we focus our firepower until we get results."

"Just a hint of where to go then. Fine by me." The fire mage appears to be satisfied with that answer.

Karin looks to her daughter, and gives the eldest daughter a critical once-over. "You intend to fight alongside us this time, despite my objections?"

Eleanor balks momentarily before returning her mother's gaze. "I do. This is every bit as much my fight as it is yours."

Blake rolls his eyes in response. "Strictly speaking, this is Aoi and I's fight."

"And as I told you on the way here, I absolutely refuse to simply sit on the sidelines and pray to the Founder that you'll come back to me in one piece. We both know that I am not a weak fighter by any means." The eldest daughter's glare is every bit as terrifying as her mother's own as she looks to the construct. "And on top of that, we don't even have an estate to go back _to_ thanks to a certain mad king."

"No, I'd place full blame for that one on the Emperor. He was too weak-hearted to resist water-based mind control until we beat him half to death." Gerhild spits icily. "At this stage I almost regret not finishing him off then and there. I could get just as much done as queen as he could as king."

"Who is responsible is beside the point, unfortunately. We've lost nearly everything as-is, I refuse to run the risk of losing anything else." The eldest daughter states simply and with conviction. She then looks to Blake again and cuts him off. "And yes, I am perfectly aware of the fact that we will be facing a Void mage, a servant, at least one elf, four or more enhanced mages, and whatever else they've concocted since you've last dealt with them. My answer is still the same."

Gerhild laughs outright at the display, her mood doing a complete 180. "Ha, you're not even married and she has you whipped!"

The Archduke locks eyes with Blake next, his expression a cross between happiness for her daughter finding love and promises of unspeakable violence if anything were to happen to her because of the construct. To his credit, the construct doesn't so much as flinch. Karin doesn't press the matter at all, as everyone knows that out of everyone present, she stands the greatest chance of dealing decent damage to either construct.

The Firestorm just wipes a tear from her eye and flicks it aside. "Ah, young love under the scrutiny of one of the most destructive couples of the modern age. This is going to turn into comedy gold."

"Shut up." Both the Duchess and Eldest Daughter snap at the Firestorm in unison.

Aoi and Charlotte make their way in at this point. "Wow, I can't tell if this is supposed to be a serious mood, or a jovial one." The dragon states. It looks as though he's also kited himself out in armor, and has a rather massive shield on his back with an equally massive blade just under it. Strangely enough, it all looks like it was made from bits of his dragon form. "And yes, I too feel the irony of wearing bits of my other form to hunt monsters."

"To note, all of what he's wearing has also been depleted of magic. The blade is the only thing we know of that we have to concern ourselves with, but in this case better safe than sorry." Blake explains a bit further. "You took your sweet time getting here. Is everyone else at the ready?" He speaks as he sits down in the captain's chair.

"Much as I hate bringing them along, Louise and Tiffania are on board in one of the most heavily-defended parts of the ship with the Gatekeeper watching over them both. Matilda and Wardes are helping to direct operations and we've got the familiars stowed away until they're needed. We've also got as many clockwork mechs crammed onto this thing as we can comfortably fit, and... Well, Shajal's joining this thing too."

"Shajal? She hates fighting." Blake taps the armrest of his seat as he listens. The hangar doors open and the ship's engines roar to life.

"She does, but with Bidawhatever there she wants a little insurance. Especially if the elves decide that this is a fine time to jump in and hose up everything with their self-righteous bull." The dragon points out. "There's four active Void mages and this little skirmish may have them all within spitting distance of one another."

"I assume the Gatekeeper is there to personally safeguard my daughter and her friend?" Karin less asks and more demands in as polite a manner as possible.

"He's kinda the big red bug-out option. Louise and Tiffi aren't exactly fighters so much as glorified artillery. If anything gets to them, it's there to get them out." The dragon seems to agree on that point, at least. "Anyway, Romalia's got its affairs in order and Vittorio's yanked on enough ears to get the Cardinals to more or less unify against Joseph. They've got the bulk of their army en-route already to locations they think the Mad King's holed up at. Even better, the failed offensive's the straw that broke the camel's back for the Gallian natives."

"So we're looking at a rebellion on top of all this." The Archduke chimes in again. "I see that you've managed to plan at least part of this out."

"Enough to know that we won't have to worry about Joseph or Sheffield getting their grubby mitts on anyone they shouldn't. I've got Henrietta on board too, but that's only because she's every bit as adamant as Eleanor is." The dragon scratches his head nervously.

"Her Highness needs to tend to her people. What is she thinking to come with us on a mission like this?" The Duchess furrows her brow in annoyance and thought.

"The princess snapped." Charlotte speaks up without looking up from her book. "The stress of losing her nation and being indirectly responsible for the death of thousands is too much for her."

Not one of the veteran mages present could do much more than wince at the very thought. As much as Karin has high standards for royalty, even she has to admit that on a personal level the princess is being hit with things even her late father would have struggled with. With her general lack of experience, it only makes sense that she would be put under strain. "Still, this is no place for her."

"I'll be blunt. This is no place for any of you." Blake speaks sharply. "As powerful as you all are, fact of the matter is that you are still all ultimately human. Even Shajal is as vulnerable to damage as any human despite her being an elf. Joseph has demonstrated time and time again that he will do whatever it takes to cause as much pain and suffering as possible, and with the Mind of God at his disposal he most likely has a nearly infinite supply of troops."

"You have limited willpower and stamina, and we're marching into the enemy's stronghold. This mission has no guarantee of success, or even survival." The airship takes off into the air, then begins to generate a gate of its own. The construct closes his eyes for a moment. "Even we, as powerful as we are, are not guaranteed survival because of our primary target wielding the Void."

"Gotta admit though, our odds go up if we've got each other watching our backs." Aoi's approach is a little more optimistic, but even he's cautious. "Plus, what's Joseph going to be able to do against this thing? I'm pretty sure our maximum range exceeds his by... a _lot_."

"Admittedly, I would feel a lot better about this if we could just nuke his location from a distance, but we don't have that option." Blake admits as the ship moves through the gate. Within moments, it's over Gallian airspace. "...But back on the previous topic, it's too much of a headache for me to try and dissuade all of you. You all have your reasons, and I won't deny their validity."

"And Eleanor would just beat your head in until you agree anyway." Aoi shrugs in a good-natured manner.

"I really would." The researcher states in a somewhat annoyed tone. "After all, I can no more leave an idiot like you alone than you can leave me alone."

Blake blushes lightly and simply returns to guiding the ship.

Meanwhile, deep down Karin feels a mild case of deja-vu when looking at her daughter.


	62. Momentary Lull

The Skycutter makes its approach over Gallian airspace unopposed since Joseph has more or less lead his armada into oblivion. There are Romalian airships hovering over various towns or in transit to different locations, while a few other conspicuous points are ablaze. It's clear that the land has had a busy week between developing an active rebellion and Romalia getting its act in gear to assist said rebellion. It's hard to not suspect the motives of the Romalian Cardinals, however, given their history with Gallia.

Charlotte frowns as she observes the latest batch of Romalian ships sailing by. She's not even startled when she feels someone all but pop into existence next to her. "Distrust." She speaks simply.

"Afraid they're going to take over?" Aoi asks as he leans against the wall next to the ice mage.

"Yes." The princess replies simply again. "I don't see how it would benefit them to just let my mother or I take over the throne. The tensions between Gallia and Romalia have always been high."

The dragon pats the petite mage' head in response. "Geeze, you must be stressed if you're talking this much."

Charlotte simply pouts slightly in response.

"Big sister is really worried, and so is Ikurukuu." The Rhyme Dragon makes herself known as well. "Big brother's going to fight a monster..."

The mage follows up immediately afterward. "A monster you already know you're unlikely to beat."

Aoi looks away and scratches his head nervously. "Yeah, but Joseph's still human, you know? And I have a trick or two left to work with." He pulls out a small, sky-blue jewel from his pocket and holds it out for the ice mage to take.

Charlotte takes it and holds it up to look at it. She raises an eyebrow at the dragon. "...One of your cores."

"Sub-cores, yeah. I figure that my usual strategy of 'a lot of redundancy in one body' thing isn't necessarily going to help, so it probably makes more sense to just leave one with you." Admits the dragon in a cavalier manner. His expression then darkens slightly. "...Not to mention if Joseph's got anything planned with that magimatter, I want to make sure I can keep you safe as well in case he does anything stupid like try to zombify people with it."

The petite mage embraces the construct as she pockets the core. "Thank you." In truth, there's a significant level of trust required by both parties either one to consider this. "If you have another spare, leave it with Louise. I don't entirely like her, but she really will be kept out of this."

"I can probably split another one off for her, yeah." Aoi's expression is thoughtful, as if he hadn't properly considered the idea before.

"One more thing." The petite mage reaches up to poke the dragon's chest. "If you lose those runes on your hand, I'm going to figure out a way to contract with you as well."

"I thought it was one familiar per mage." Asks the dragon in a confused tone.

"I will figure something out. If the opportunity arises, I will **not** let her take you again without a fight." Charlotte blushes lightly as she declares that, then turns away from the dragon to walk off.

"Big sister's jealous of bigger big sister's little sister." Sylpheed clarifies before joining her master.

...

Aoi sighs after they both leave earshot. "Man, that girl's scary when she wants to be."

-

Blake taps the armrest of his chair in an irritated manner as he looks over a map of the surrounding area. It has an overlay with all manners of potentially useful information, but for the most part it isn't helping the construct in the slightest. Aside from Eleanor, there really aren't any other people present in the control room with them.

[WE ARE IN ROUTE TO THE FIRST POSSIBLE HOLDOUT LOCATION. WE CANNOT EXPECT THE MAD KING TO MAKE IT EASY TO FIND HIM.] The gatekeeper states over the intercom, perhaps guessing at what the serpent is frustrated about.

"I know, I know..." Groans the construct. "I simply expected to be shot at more or something along those lines. Not be given free reign to do as we wish."

The eldest daughter happens to be lost in thought for the moment, her face reflecting her myriad thoughts on the matter.

"He has the home field advantage. Even with everything going on, there is no doubt that he could find someplace to hole up until he wishes to appear." Karin enters the control room, apparently having heard the conversation. Or perhaps the Gatekeeper was simply not specific in terms of who it was talking to. She looks to the construct after that. "Not every enemy will be obvious in their movements or actions."

"I was thinking the same thing, mother." Eleanor snaps out of her thoughts to reply. "Though I'm not sure if we can count on the Mad King to behave like any previous enemy. For all we know he intends to make this into another twisted show of his." She crosses her arms and furrows her brow. "Princess de Gallia did say that her uncle was close to reaching the deposits on his own anyway, and then you-" She flicks her eyes to Blake. "-unwittingly gave him an example of the sheer power of a deposit of Wind Stones."

"He has more or less had months to continue on without you, and we cannot assume that he's been inactive all this time. It's nothing but extrapolation, but it occurs to me that he may no longer need you or Aoi to further his goal of accelerating the Wind Stone crisis."

Blake's expression turns grim as he considers the possibility. "If that is the case, then I will have no way to stop him if he catapults a mountain into the air."

"This is surprising. You have been nothing short of unstoppable before." Karin notes, her curiosity somewhat piqued.

"Aoi and I are constructs, not deities. We both hold a great deal of power, but even we have limits." The construct explains as he specifies new search parameters. "If Joseph's plan is the same a what he wished to do before, then neither of us have the power to end the threat before it deals considerable amounts of damage."

"Limiting our options to ending the Mad King before he can do anything." The legend completes the thought.

"Which is why I'm getting antsy. We don't know where he is, what he's doing, or how he's going to do it. I'm stuck waiting for something to react to." Blake taps his armrest in annoyance once more. "If he were like most opponents, he would no doubt place a strong military presence around a vulnerable or valuable asset, which would result in us getting shot at. The more we get shot at, the closer we're getting."

"I can see where you are coming from, but there are those who do not make it obvious." The duchess interjects. "It's possible he knows enough about how you work to know that inaction will be more unnerving than action. Or perhaps he thinks anyone would be unnerved by that."

[IT WOULD ALSO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DETECT WHAT IT IS YOU ARE ASKING ME TO SEARCH FOR, GIVEN HOW MUCH POWER THE DEPOSITS ARE OUTPUTTING AS OPPOSED TO THE DEVICES NEEDED TO SET THEM OFF.] The Gatekeeper replies to an earlier request over the intercom.

"So we're stuck searching enemy strongholds manually and hoping that they aren't all traps." Grumbles the serpent.

"That appears to be the case." The eldest daughter agrees on that point. "Still, it may be prudent to see how many of the known holdout locations coincide with wind stone deposits."

The construct looks to the wind mage with a raised eyebrow and is about to object, only to lose steam before the first word can ever leave his mouth. "...The sad part is that I can't really find fault in that line of logic. If it's one big game of 'I know what you know' then this will get confusing quite quickly."

"Perhaps I should speak to the Pope to see if he has learned anything." Eleanor speaks again, tapping her cheek.

"That would not go awry." Karin agrees.


	63. Tenfold Repayment

While meeting up with the Pope is all fine and dandy, there is a small problem in that those aboard the Skycutter do not know where he is as of current. A quick inspection of the primary Romalian cathedral shows that he is in fact not there. Thankfully for all involved he is located on the flagship of the Romalian fleet, which appears to have already been on an intercept course. It doesn't take long after that for Eleanor to meet up with the Pope proper.

"It is unfortunate, but we have had no fortune in locating Joseph ourselves." Vittorio's report on the matter is less than encouraging, given how the man and his forces have had a several day head start. "We have focused our efforts in stabilizing the region for the time being. My belief is that he will either strike where and when he can do the most damage, or he will not strike at all."

The wind mage sighs in exasperation on reflex. "Of course he would. He hasn't made this easy so far, so why would he change now."

"Your frustration is understandable, Ms. Valliere. You must be every bit as eager to end this threat as we are." Julio makes himself known almost immediately afterward, his own mood being somewhat soured by the lack of progress. "We have done nearly nothing but scour some of his known holdings, and a few that he thought were a secret to us."

"Were you able to find anything useful?" Asks the eldest daughter.

"Nothing but the nation's twisted creations." The right hand of god frowns as he recalls what they found. "It's clear that most of the locations were just decoys or traps. They either collapsed at some point, released horrific chimeras onto our scouting parties, or both."

That causes the wind mage to raise an eyebrow inquisitively. "Could I trouble you to elaborate?"

"The creatures? It's almost not worth describing them. Chimeras are nothing new, but these take it to an obscene new high. Each one is nearly amorphous and difficult to damage, and they almost appear to be less monsters and more dismembered chunks of bodies stitched together." The charmer explains with a faint tone of disgust. "We were able to successfully subdue and capture a couple, though they have already been contained and shipped back to Romalia."

Needless to say, this is not good news to Eleanor, though she manages to not show it. "...So Joseph has been busy." She states worriedly.

"Indeed. I had my detachment search for any sign of your group as soon as possible so that we could ask if you know anything about them." Vittorio speaks again, his tone neutral. "It is clear that these monsters are a new invention. While Gallia is known to have its unethical experimental division, most of the results are still grounded in some kind of familiar logic. These new creatures appear to be shoddy at best, abominable at worst. Completely unlike any known previous work."

"Which means that they are either the dregs of his experiments that have been hauled out to stall for time, or these are recent of a recent breakthrough. I am not well-enough versed in Gallian experimentation to determine which is which, but I am aware that you have access to Charlotte de Gallia, who is." The pope continues on a seemingly sensible line of logic.

"I assume you wish to meet with her, if she is willing?" Asks the eldest daughter in response.

"If possible, though at the moment I believe your additional spellpower would be appreciated more." Vittorio keeps himself guarded carefully. "I have prepared a list of previously searched holdings so as to save your group time." He has Julio hand a scroll to Eleanor. "I wish you and yours the best of luck."

"Thank you, your Holiness." The wind mage replies before gating out.

...

"If there was a time to confront her about the nature of the monstrosities, that would have been it." Julio crosses his arms and taps his forearm with one index finger.

Vittorio nods his head in response. "True, but it may be better to not press her for information."

The right hand raises an eyebrow critically. "We've already revealed that we've carted a couple of those creatures off. I don't think it could have done much more harm to ask her if she has any idea what they are."

The Pope remains motionless. "I have reason to believe that these creatures may be based on the constructs. If they are, they may hold a key to emulate them, and in turn give us the ability to match them in case they go against us. If we tip our hands too far this soon, they may turn against us."

Julio furrows his brow. "Because you have no intention of allowing them to just terminate the chimeras."

"This is all speculation, yet they have been guarded in dealing with us and slow to reveal secrets, if they deign to do so at all." Vittorio sits back down at that point and continues looking ahead. "And while I wield the Void, there is still a clear and unacceptable power discrepancy between us and them. They could end up destabilizing Halkeginia even further if allowed to persist unchecked."

"It's an opportunity we cannot afford to miss."

-

Charlotte looks over the provided list with a critical eye while Blake updates the area map. Almost all of them do not coincide with any of the known Gallian wind stone nodes, much to the latter's distress.

"Don't tell me we have to search the areas directly over the wind stone nodes..." The serpent groans as he looks at the updated map.

"...That does sound like Uncle." Concedes the ice mage while closing her eyes.

Aoi, on the other hand, isn't exactly reacting to the update well. "Great. On top of that, apparently Joseph's been making monsters out of my flesh." He looks to Eleanor next. "And now the Pope has a couple of them? He's one of the last people I want to have access to that." The wind mage nods in response.

"We'll deal with them in due time, Aoi." The construct responds without looking away from the map. "We both knew we may have to go against them eventually one way or the other."

"I kinda didn't want to. At this rate, we're going to have to wreck this entire group of nations before we can even resume stopping the crisis we _originally_ set off to stop." The dragon is irritated in response to that as well as the situation in general. "Not to mention the elves. Knowing our luck, they're going to get in our way too, and by the time we can resume the unchecked nodes will start ripping chunks out of the earth."

"Romalia is being worked on as we speak, Germania is also being worked on, and Tristain is already dealt with." The serpent then sighs. "As much as that last one turned into a disaster." He then looks to his counterpart. "But we don't need to actually _be_ there."

"We just need people to leave us alone long enough for us to help." Growls the dragon as he goes to bring up a screen of the outside. "I kinda half-expect Joseph to come out to greet us in some grandiose fashion befitting his nature as a showboating monster."

[ALERT. A WIND STONE NODE HAS JUST GONE CRITICAL.] The Gatekeeper's voice is heard over the intercom. [THE TOTAL PROJECTED MASS BEING LIFTED UP IS OVER THREE MILES IN RADIUS.]

A powerful rumbling sound accompanies the latter part of the announcement, startling most of those aboard the ship while simply causing Aoi to become grouchy. He gestures with his hand to get a good view of the landmass in question, which is raising up with the edge nowhere in sight. "So, where are _WE_ relative to the landmass exactly?"

[WE ARE IN DANGER OF A FORCED LANDING.] Replies the construct. [ADDITIONALLY, THREE MORE SMALLER LANDMASSES HAVE JUST RIPPED FREE OF THE EARTH.]

"And _**there**_ it is!" The dragon roars out in annoyance.


	64. Live Demonstration

"Just as an aside note, radius does not equal mass." Blake states flatly even as he, along with nearly everyone else, braces himself for impact.

[I AM UNDER STRESS, IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED.] Gatekeeper's response is decidedly less machine-like than usual. [WE WILL NOT LOSE THE SHIP BECAUSE OF THIS, BUT WE WILL MOST LIKELY INCUR SOME DAMAGE.]

A few moments later and the rising landmass impacts the ship. True to the construct's words, the ship appears to be holding up in spite of the sheer amount of mass being thrown at it. Blake rises up from his seat, and Eleanor follows suit in short order despite the difficulty on her end. "I take it the enemy has prepared a welcoming party?"

Aoi, unlike the rest, hasn't even bothered bracing himself and stands strong despite the sudden impact. He scrolls where the viewscreen is looking in an attempt to get a visual on anything attempting to attack them. "Nothing yet. I'm wondering if they even know we're... wait, I think I see something." A few points on the screen light up in vague, minuscule outlines. "Either advance scouts or Joseph already knows we're here."

He looks back to his other. "Blake, you should stay here and man the big guns. Gatekeeper's watching both our partners, and I don't want to tie it up running the ship's defenses and doing bodyguard duty."

The serpent frowns in annoyance. "Do you really think it'd make sense for just one of us to go?"

"We're both Void-vulnerable targets. It makes zero sense for you to jump in too. I at least have a trump card left to play, and a backup option or two to fall back on." The dragon states. "You've got _one_ core, and as far as we know it'll take one spell to end you."

The eldest daughter feels a mild sense of deja-vu in terms of the conversation. "It's not like Aoi will go at it alone..." She trails off as she looks to the dragon. "Though I don't think I need to explain how upset I would be if you got yourself destroyed, given how my youngest sister relies on your support so much?"

"I know. Believe me, she's already chewing me out about the idea." The dragon replies in kind while knocking the side of his head. "Master/familiar relationship, remember? We ironed out the kinks and got it so she can see what I'm seeing and can communicate with me."

Eleanor's eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the news, and while she doesn't look happy, she seems to relent. "This is what I mean. I don't think she could have come this far without you, so it's important that you come back. Also, Louise, I am amazed at how much you've grown. At this rate I'll have no right to call you runt anymore." She manages to crack a smile in spite of herself.

Aoi scratches his head. "Wow, I can't tell if she's happy to hear you acknowledge her of if she's indignant that you're still calling her that."

[CONTACTS CONFIRMED. THEY'RE THE USUAL TRASH.] The AI states.

Blake relents and sits back down in the captain's chair, and calls up a number of targeting screens to surround him. "Skycutter weapons online. Engine output reduced to minimum until the situation stabilizes." The construct remains motionless as more and more contacts show up on the screens. "Let's show the Mad King what happens when he crosses us."

-

While it couldn't exactly be called an army, the ragtag group of magical constructs that Joseph's research division and Sheffield have cobbled together on short notice are attempting to rush down the enemy airship and board it. There's no real chance of their succeeding on their own once they get there, but that's not the point. The point is to just get a feel for what the Mad King's enemies can do, and in turn adjust tactics to deal with them.

A scant few Jormungandr, gargoyles aplenty, and various other creatures unleashed for this particular occasion comprise the forces that will be thrown into the metaphorical meat grinder, while the bulk of their forces lie in wait elsewhere. Sheffield herself is keeping an eye on the whole thing via scrying, her mood somewhat strained despite recent developments. "Why hasn't anyone come out yet...?" She asks. Logically, it makes a certain amount of sense, but it still annoys her that there isn't even a scrap of a response yet.

Then a Jormungandr is blown to bits with a laser.

"...What." The mind of god's reaction is less than pleased. Apparently, the gleaming airship is fully armed with weapons the Gallian research division would kill to have.

She'd kill to have that kind of firepower too, but that's beside the point.

What should have been a respectable welcoming party is getting torn to shreds by weaponry no one could have accurately predicted would be on that ship. Worse still, it almost seems as though that isn't even the limit of the ship's offensive power. Most Halkeginian airships are limited to cannons, and thus are limited in range and refire rate. This monstrosity breaks the mold in all the worst ways.

She abandons her scrying and writes the whole thing off as a lost cause.

"Giving up so soon, Sheffield? That's unlike you!" Joseph can be heard some distance away.

"I can't gauge the strength of the enemy's individual units if our test subjects are getting shredded by magic weaponry." The Mind of God grouses as she assembles a few more artifacts.

"They've been busy as well, then." The mad king's tone is neutral as he reacts to the news. "Still, it doesn't matter. We'll simply have to settle for surprising one another!"

The servant knows better than to question her master's logic on the matter, but even she thinks he's being a touch too cavalier about all this. Had the Gandalfr and Lifdrasil been ordinary humans empowered by the Void runes, that would be one thing. As it stands? It will take a miracle to score a decisive victory.

Still, she does have to appreciate the fact that win or lose here, it will take a miracle for _them_ to avert what's already in motion.


	65. Silver Spy is in the Base

Bidashal paces around the workshop worriedly. While he has to uphold his agreement with King Joseph for the time being, that does not mean he has to agree with the king's methods, nor does he have to partake in any more than he absolutely has to. The creation of overly volatile Fire Stones is one thing. The study of magically-charged material is another, since it can have peaceful application. Taking that same material and _reanimating corpses_ with it is something else entirely. Even worse because the samples seemed to have some level of subservience already, and behaved like simple spirits when tested.

Then there was the way the... _things_... behaved once formed. They weren't even properly aware of their state. Warriors, mages, citizens... They tried to move about as if they were still alive, even with entire parts of their minds and bodies completely gone and the magimatter filling in the blanks as best it could. All mindlessly loyal to the Myoznitnim, to boot. The elf shudders as he remembers the barely contained _glee_ in her voice as she commanded the 'troops.' A barbarian she may be, but her capacity for wanton cruelty is almost unfathomable.

It's shaken the elf so badly that the idea of dashing this entire facility against the planet itself feels like nothing more than the greatest act of goodwill that he could possibly manage. How fortunate, then, that the Mad King has already made plans to do just that.

Bidashal stops in place, looking over his notes. A scant week of half-baked ideas that only worked because the material involved bends to the will of the user so easily. All of which need to be categorized, preserved, and looked over by those with greater arcane knowledge than himself. He rolls them up and stores them away, confident in his not being disturbed when he feels the earth shake around him. These would be missed, yes, but the aberrations will keep each other busy for quite some time.

The elf calms himself as best he can. The only reason he has not yet fled is the fact that three of the four Void servants should be within the facility soon, if they are not already. If it is possible to do so, he must track down and capture at least one of their respective masters. Not the Mad King, however, as it will be impossible to abscond with him in any form at this point. That and he is unsure if he could survive both the Mad King, his dog, and those who seek to end him. Spirit magic is powerful, but it has its limits. Limits that are more easily reached when Void magic is involved.

He listens to the spirits in the earth, and can tell that the fighting has begun in earnest. The aberrant dragon is among the attackers, its wild and brutal magic being responsible for the tremors. Others are present as well, but they are barely worth noting. He walks to a nearby wall and asks the earth spirits to part for him, and the stonework moves to accommodate him. Walls part, floors give way, and the elf makes his orderly and swift escape. Once he reaches dirt, he escapes the facility in full.

He continues to listen to the earth, trying to figure out where he needs to go to reach the wielders of the aberrant element known as the Void.

-

"Formation! For-ma-tion!" A barely coherent foot soldier armed with a tower shield and a spear calls out to his brethren even as his legs begin to give way under the strain of blocking a pillar of earth. Two more join in, but all three are quickly flattened unceremoniously. Rather than stay down, there appears to be some measure of movement from them.

A mage missing half its torso fires a few ice spears at its targets, but its reaction times are slow. It's chopped in half with a blade of wind for its trouble. It attempts to get back up despite that inconvenience.

Another shuffling crossbowman doesn't even get to fire its bolt off before a lethal bolt of electricity utterly vaporizes it. Unlike the first four noted, it does not rise again.

Aoi has completely forgone using his chosen weapons entirely in favor of using sheer, overwhelming magical force. Wind magic roars around his arm and somehow congeals into lightning, which then forms into a ball in his hand and is fired off like a shot. The resulting explosion wipes out another mage completely. His eyes are those of his dragon form, and the air around him shudders with his rage. Each step he takes chars the earth with lightning.

Gerhild and the two Vallieres are wisely giving the construct a wide berth while assisting in taking down the 'experiments' that have been unceremoniously thrown in their path.

Karin in particular has to give a nod to the tactic, at least. Had Joseph not thrown this tactic up against the one who technically created it to begin with, it might have worn herself and her allies down considerably. Perhaps even to the point where taking on their primary target is an impossibility. In turn, she also has to note that her youngest daughter's familiar has consumed a great number of Wind Stones himself to achieve the affect he's currently benefiting from.

"Rage." The legend almost starts as she hears a level, neutral voice pipe up to her left. She sees that Charlotte has joined the group somewhere along the line.

"Oh? This is spontaneous." Gerhild is the first to respond as she casually roasts a half-destroyed construct. "Hopefully you can keep up, little one."

"Don't worry." States Charlotte with a slight edge in her voice. She then quickens her pace and walks alongside the construct, waiting for his next discharge before touching him. "Overkill."

Aoi's attention snaps to the blue-haired girl before sighing. "I want to be sure. These things are just a mockery of me." He watches as a combination of wind and flame tears apart another batch of half-formed mages. He only refrains since they're no longer moving. "Can't wait to finally bury that bitch."

"Anti-magic." The princess points out just loud enough to be heard. She then points the group down a different door. "More that way."

"Hopefully you weren't doing anything too dangerous." Notes the dragon as he sends another shot of ball lightning through the doorway.

"I was careful. Never strayed too far." States the bluette.

"Good. I'd rather we not lose someone because they got jumped while by themselves." The dragon responds as he checks the hallway he just fired into. "Well, looks like there's more down this way. Guess this place is just that saturated with the damnable things, or we're getting closer to our target."

"Organized." Points out the ice mage. She steps away from the doorframe just as a surge of fire and crossbow bolts gushes out... and is deflected with ease by the usual surge of black wind from the dragon. Charlotte finds herself getting knocked on her rear after staggering backwards a little, but gets back up quickly enough. "...I know you're defending yourself, but can you at least pay attention to what's around you?" She lightly swats the construct with her staff in response.

"...These gruesome things just don't know when to stop. A few of them are reforming." Gerhild notes as she all but flings a simple fireball off her spear and into something that can only be tangentially identified as human.

The 'flesh' of the monster is scorched, but it's not slowed by much as a few more half-destroyed bodies merge into one greater form. It finds itself with a brand new hole where its head used to be. It falls apart nearly as quickly as it formed, but the remaining mass is already quivering from an attempt to come back together. Another charged shot puts a stop to that.

"Ugh, now I know how _you_ feel whenever you try to kill me." Aoi gives an aside glance at Karin before continuing, addressing the other four members of the group. "Cripes, keep a weather eye out for anything like that. If they can merge with each other, they can probably forcibly merge with any of _you_ too."

"I think I understand why Blake was so insistent on this being too dangerous for us." Duke Valliere chimes in grimly as he pointedly buries what little of the monster is left under a pile of rubble. "Do you know how to undo such a change, Aoi?"

"I'm not sure. Unlike some megalomaniacal bastards who don't need to be named, Blake and I never felt the need to go grafting bits of ourselves onto other living things to see what happens. As a result, we don't know how to undo it either. Yet, at least." The construct starts considering his options on how to approach this. Out of everyone, only Charlotte has some modicum of protection against such a thing, and that's only because he gave her a sub-core that can override the process in the princess' favor should it come to that. In truth, there are no good options.

"Then we'll just make sure those things never touch us in the first place. Honestly, we've dealt with our fare share of horrors too, Aoi." Gerhild comments with some measure of confidence in her tone. "Ahead of you, dragon-boy."

A torrent of black wind shreds the next amalgamate monster that tries to surge through the door. "Without getting hit?" He asks as he starts blasting a way forward.

"...Well, not every time." Admits the bronze-skinned woman.

"It only takes one solid grab... though these things aren't quiet either." Admits the construct as the group moves down the next hallway. Charlotte and the Duke take the precaution of sealing as many doorways as possible, noting that while it won't stop the mage monsters, it will halt pretty much anything else. Unless their merged forms turn out to be strong enough to bust the barriers down. "Also, if you guys start to get too tired, don't go hanging around because of pride or anything. You can just lock onto me with the gate system and pop back in if conditions are safe enough."

A thin layer of frost begins to coat the floor, and the brickwork beneath the group's feet starts to lift up slightly.

The Duke mutters under his breath and taps the floor with his foot, at which point his expression goes grim. "It may be wise for us to allow Aoi to fight unimpeded. It appears that a particularly large entity is just beneath us."

Gerhild is about to start up, but is cut off by a number of ice spikes jutting out from the ground. "...Fine, this one's yours, but you'd best not have all the fun!"

Three leave, but the young princess remains.

"You sure about this?" Asks the dragon as he forms more lightning in his hands. "You're not immune either."

"I have no reason to doubt you." Replies Charlotte simply. "This one is too coherent."

The dragon fires off the shots into the stonework, letting them bore into the freezing earth while the princess jumps on his back and holds on tight. Aoi then kicks off the ground and smashes through the increasingly thick set of spikes created to impede their progress, only to look back and note that a fairly coherent dragon formed from semi-solid ice has just smashed through the floor and is chasing them down the hallway. Though its form is misshapen, it bears more than a slight resemblance to Ikuruku's natural Rhyme Dragon form.

"Are you sure you don't want to bail?!" Asks the construct in a slightly panicked tone, though he fears for Charlotte's safety more than his own.

"Certain." The princess narrows her eyes in response to seeing the mockery of her familiar. "I want to see this through."

The construct plows through a few more semi-formed humanoids, leaving them to be frozen solid by the creature chasing them down. To his annoyance, it seems to be gaining somewhat. "I get that this is important, but you can leave this to me!"

"Shut up already. I am not incompetent in battle, and I want to get some closure." Though she's outwardly annoyed, Charlotte is happy to hear Aoi worry about her. "There's one more monster to put down. I can only hope she's not responsible for this... thing."

"What, that nutjob cousin of yours?" Asks the dragon as it smashes down a particularly large set of double doors.

The room is reasonably open, but it feels more like an emptied out lab than anything else. The most notable thing in the room is a king's chair in the middle, and sitting atop it is none other than Isabella. She looks up at the intruders and smiles. "Ah, I was hoping my pet wasn't wrong about my dear cousin paying me a visit. What say we play one last game, and the winner gets to decide what happens to my dear father?"


	66. Unwanted Interloper

"This material father's servant retrieved is truly wonderful, isn't it? It was well worth the risk of having my mercenaries collect a sample." Isabella lounges on her seat, looking happy yet at the same time not. "Down, Undine, we can pick these two apart at our leisure." The 'dragon' proceeds to cease attacking and returns to its master's side for the time being.

"You should have stayed out of this." Charlotte states pointedly.

The princess cocks her head to the side, partly amused, partly confused. "Why would I do that? You ran away from me when you were supposed to be serving me. Though of course, my leverage over you vanished at the same time, so I understand why..." She trails off for a moment before starting up again, this time with an edge to her voice. "But that's **not** how this game works."

"This isn't a game I have to play." The ice mage states in a tone befitting her element.

"True, you don't have to play it, but you must want to. Why would you be here otherwise?" Isabella straightens back up and puts her hands in her lap, while her eyes seem to empty of all emotion other than a raw, unbridled, and cold anger. "You fully intend to take even my father away from me, you pathetic little _doll_."

"He just butchered a good chunk of an entire nation. He needs to be put down." Aoi pipes up.

Isabella's emotions fluctuate as she looks over the construct. She doesn't seem to settle on anything in particular. "I understand that too. Father played a dangerous game, and now everyone on the board is plotting against him while he has little left to put weight behind his actions." She stands up from her chair and takes a couple steps forward. "But _I_ want to be the one to end him."

The young woman takes a phial out of her pocket, and uncorks it. "It's rather funny. I have everything I could possibly want, but at the same time I have nothing of value. How could that be, I wonder?" She downs the contents of the phial in one go, and chokes on the contents for a moment. She throws away the phial carelessly with a flick of the wrist and wipes her lips clean. Her breathing changes from a relatively steady pace to a slightly more labored one. "How indeed..."

She picks up a staff that looks markedly like Charlotte's own and gazes at it sadly. "Mother and father loved me once. Then mother passed away and father... stopped being father. He stopped caring about me, and started obsessing over his _perfect_ brother." Isabella spits the word out as her cheeks flush with anger, her grip on the staff tightening. "I thought father killing uncle would be the end of it, but no. Who does he start obsessing over instead?" She points her staff at the ice mage atop Aoi's back. "You. The 'perfect' daughter of the 'perfect' brother."

Perhaps uncharacteristically, she still refrains from attacking, as though getting this off her chest is more important. "Sure, your mother took the poison meant for you and went insane, but did that change anything? No." Her tone gets more manic the more she speaks. "You were still alive, still the target of what little of his interest he could actually manifest. He more or less forgot about me and left me to my own devices." She throws her arms wide theatrically. "And _why_? Because you have the devil's luck!"

"Ice wall!" She all but screams as she points her staff at the doors Aoi and Charlotte used to enter the room. "Ice wall!" She seals off another door with that spell. " **Ice wall**!" She seals off the last. "I _tried_ to get his attention too!" Screams the young woman as she taps her staff against the floor. This time nothing happens. "I tried to act like him to get his approval, but he didn't even notice! He didn't even **care**!"

Charlotte patiently waits for this rant to finish with narrow, uncaring eyes, and keeps one arm around the construct in case he needs to move.

"Mother was gone... father didn't care... no one wanted to deal with me..." Isabella shudders as she fails to fight back tears. "I was just _there_. There to pick up the slack where father wouldn't. Govern where he wouldn't, take care of the chores he couldn't deal with. That's why I play so many games, you know. Stress relief, something to pass the time... and you were my favorite one to 'play' with." She looks at her cousin with hateful eyes even as she's smiling and crying. "It was fun coming up with ways to see how 'perfect' you really are, and infuriating when you somehow proved it."

She clutches her chest and cringes, pausing before continuing. "And what infuriated me the most? Everyone loves _you_. Father obsesses over what's left of his brother... the servants all wish you well... the people of our nation want **you,** not me." The Mad King's daughter starts to twitch unconsciously while her tears start to stick to her cheeks slightly. "And just when I thought that you couldn't be favored more, who else but **GOD** chooses to save you form me?!" She stomps her foot pointedly, freezing the ground beneath her to a fault. "Angels descend for you! How much more can one be loved, you... you... **AGH**!"

Isabella collapses forward, and her 'dragon' is quick to impose its snout between her and the floor. The young woman keeps her gaze locked on her cousin as best she can even though it's clear that something is going wrong. "That dragon... Aoi... A seraph from above who cannot be defeated... Why couldn't you save me instead?" Her anger collapses into sadness as she looks to the construct and cries more freely. "Why couldn't you love _me_? Why..."

The Mad King's daughter collapses against her construct dragon completely for a moment as her body seems to fail her. She still somehow manages to hiccup and giggle slightly. "It's fine if you don't love me. I don't love me. I don't even like me. Who would like me? I bet the Founder would spit on me if he could." She struggles to right herself, though it's clear that for the moment she no longer can. "It's fine because I got some of your flesh. It's wonderful... Did you know that if you wish on it strongly enough, it can even change who you are?" Her expression weakly lights up as she seems to start _melting_.

She laughs as she falls backward, her voice growing wet with each passing moment until her lungs are flooded, and she is no longer able to breathe. She falls backwards and lands with a slick splat, her petite body deforming on the stone floor just a little. Her head rolls to the side, and the convulsions stop. Her body melts down into a teal and red slurry, which the dragon construct laps up.

...

Charlotte almost throws up in her mouth from that display. She has seen plenty of horrible things in her life, but there is something distinctly unsettling about watching her own cousin seemingly kill herself by melting herself down with magimatter. "Let's... let's just go..." She clings to Aoi tightly, shuddering against him as he starts walking toward one of the two doors they haven't been through. As much as she hates her cousin, she can't quite decide what to feel about _that_.

Then the hair on the back of her neck stands on end as she hears someone _else_ speaking.

"It's fine if you don't like me... because I'm going to be _you_ instead." Aoi turns around with a dark expression on his face, as if finding it completely unsurprising that Isabella is speaking again.

However, even he feels a pervading sense of wrongness about watching a reconstituted Isabella lounging in the open mouth of her 'pet' while lazily playing with its tongue. A reconstituted Isabella who looks _exactly_ like Charlotte, right down to the glasses the Gallian Princess likes to wear. However, thanks to the coating of teal-silver slime over the rest of her body, it's impossible to tell whether she bothered to extend her mimicry to her cousin's clothes or not.

Isabella herself looks immensely pleased with herself as well. "I bet you're curious about why I haven't tried to kill you yet, right, me?" She props her head up on her hand as she speaks.

Aoi grimaces as he realizes what she's up to. "You have her form, but not her memories or personality. Without her, you can't really _be_ her."

Charlotte's doppelganger's expression lights up and she nods vigorously. "Yes, that's exactly it! I can look like you, me, but I can't **BE** you without you!" She extends her arms out while smiling happily. "I know what you're going to say, but I wish you'd just come here... You'd still be you, because I want Isabella to disappear... don't you? Everybody do~es."

"I refuse." States Charlotte flatly. "Aoi... Just... get rid of her. I'm done with this."

The construct tries to generate a gate, but his attempt fizzles. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise since he didn't exactly expect anyone to know how to block him. "You know I can just punch through this half-assed block, right?"

Isabella closes her eyes and licks some slime off her finger mockingly. "But can you do it before I catch the me on your back?"

"...Tch. There's something seriously wrong with you if you think that _this_ is okay." The dragon surrounds himself with a raging black wind, but is mindful of the princess. "I have to admit though, you're the first person to be this thorough about actually trapping me for a bit. Did your father bother with this?"

The Mad King's daughter grins. "No, he doesn't care about that function, and I told it to make that option... disappear. I don't want dear father or his hussy running on me, after all." She slides down the throat of her construct and pushes her way out the top of her 'pet' while forming a saddle for her to sit on. "Now then, just swallow them both!" She commands her dragon with true joy in her voice.

Rather than move from its position, it roars before stretching its neck forward with its maw open impossibly wide. Rather than possess teeth in this state, the inside of its mouth appears to be covered in snaring tendrils. The construct immediately puts distance between himself and the approaching head and gathers up the wind into a compact, destructive sphere. He then fires it off directly into the 'mouth' of the dragon chasing him, and watches it get torn to shreds. The dragon's neck falls limp after that, but it's already reforming.

Charlotte's doppelganger puts a hand to her mouth in shock, but smiles again in short order. "No, that's not surprising. You wouldn't have gotten this far, or produced results this good if you weren't that strong." She snaps her fingers once and her construct reforms immediately. "Though it's almost a shame it's you here and not Ikuruku... I want my dragon to be her too, so you wouldn't know about this..." Her tone is nothing short of regretful. "Oh well, servants, rise up!"

The ceiling starts to push down in places as blobs of material push through and reach the floor, while the dragon construct takes flight. "I can't beat you with raw power, but I don't _need_ to beat you. I can just drown you in bodies instead!" Isabella yells out happily as she forms a number of ice spheres around her. "Sheffy won't care since I'm doing her work for her... but won't she be surprised when she sees that I have the same goal as you!"

The blobs simply reach out for the dragon as he flies by in an almost ineffectual, comical manner while the Mad King's daughter tries to use her magic to block his flight path or at least slow him down. Each ice sphere fired ahead flattens out into a barrier, but can't move too much. As a result, the construct either blasts his way through or simply evades out of the way. However, he notes one problem with this. Charlotte's on his back, limiting what he can actually do. It'd be all too easy to fling her off by accident, or make her pass out from taking too many sharp turns. Heck, even prolonging this for too long will likely be the end for her if she loses her grip and he can't compensate in time.

Lightning forms in the construct's hand before he lashes out with it, creating a wave of electricity that catches both the construct and the doppelganger out and gives him some breathing room. He forms a disk of solid light to stand on as he considers his next move, but has to impose it between himself and Isabella as her dragon's head lunges out again. Then he realizes the other problem.

In theory, if that dragon construct has enough mass, it could just extend its neck indefinitely and ignore his attempts to destroy it. Since he's fairly certain that the dragon construct itself is at least somewhat sticky... "...One week and you figured that much out, huh? You're pretty smart, if nothing else."

"Ehe~ Praise me more...!" The point seems to be somewhat lost on the Mad King's daughter as she focuses on what she wants to hear. "But yes, like I said, I don't need to beat _you_. I just need to win." She watches her construct's head get vaporized this time and pouts. "You're really rough... Though I should be glad you're that protective of me."

"You're not me, you lunatic!" Charlotte finds her voice and shouts out in anger, and only refrains from trying to cast something purely because she trusts Aoi to finish this before it gets out of hand. That and she's keeping a weather eye out around her in case it turns out that her insane cousin has figured out how to command those magimatter blobs to fly... "You're joking."

A number of blobs have outright tethered themselves to the dragon and have begun to fly up in response to the 'threat.' Each one is formless, but one can get the impression that that may very well be on purpose. "This would be a great plan if this weren't a walk in the part for me to just destroy them all."

"Go ahead, that hussy must have melted down hundreds of bodies to make more." Isabella replies cheerfully. "And right now, it's all listening to _me_."

Charlotte begins to chant, as does Isabella. However, they both hear something that gives them both a brief moment of pause.

The _construct_ begins to chant.

The Gallian Princess cannot recall a single instance in which he took the time to cast anything even remotely resembling a 'proper' Halkeginian-style spell. Everything he uses normally is plenty destructive, but then again, he isn't fighting something normal. She finishes up and casts her spell. " **Diamond Dust!** " She feels a modicum of confusion as to why it sounds like she shouted it twice, even as she's aiming at the slime to freeze it and destroy it, but then realizes what just happened.

She can barely duck down enough to avoid getting hit with the worst of it, but the freezing shards her doppleganger has generated en-masse are every bit as effective as her own, and it all appears to be concentrated on Aoi specifically. Charlotte in turn is successfully freezing everything that comes anywhere near her, but she gets the impression that her cousin is just being haphazard in the use of her resources.

To his credit, the construct seems to only be annoyed. Electrical current runs all along his body as his rapid chanting comes to a close, and he breaks the accumulated ice off his body with ease. He pays no mind to the damage Isabella's spell just inflicted, the pockmarks and lesions healing as fast as they were made in the first place. Isabella balks slightly when she sees that Aoi's mouth is actually glowing while open now, and takes up a defensive position as she realizes that he's preparing to use something big.

A few slime blobs attempt to latch onto Charlotte while the dragon is pre-occupied, but the large, red electric sphere in his hands automatically lashes out at anything that comes close. He holds the sphere out in front of him, and christens the new attack as he lets it fly.

" _ **FATAL CRIMSON!**_ "

Isabella's instincts scream at her to flee, and she does so while using her dragon as a meatshield. The electric sphere impacts it and slams it into the wall closest to it, vaporizing it before exploding and sending streaks of red lightning across the old lab. The magical power unleashed tears apart anything and everything in its path, and even Aoi himself feels the need to evade anything that gets too close until the attack fades.

He forms a light disk under him, and kneels down on it for the time being. "Welp, hopefully that was a good 33% charge well spent."

Charlotte has a death grip on the construct, her face frozen with shock, and her skin pale. "w-what..."

"I needed something capable of wiping magimatter out, so I just wrote, simulated, and cast something capable of doing just that. What's the big deal?" The dragon asks in confusion while holding the princess' hand to help calm her down.

"Can you do that to uncle?" Asks the princess somewhat hopefully.

Aoi thinks on it for a minute. "Probably. I mean, we don't need to salvage this facility or anything. If I can get a clean shot and haven't burned through too much more power before that point, I could vaporize him for you."

"It'd probably be the most humane thing to do. If Isabella could do that to herself, uncle might have too." Charlotte relaxes some as she thinks it through.

The dragon scratches his head in annoyance. "...Yeah. Dammit, it might be better to just retreat and destroy the facility from the air."

Charlotte slides off Aoi's back and stands on the disk with him to give her arms a break, only to get snagged by a few tendrils and yanked back before either her or the dragon could properly register what was going on. He whips around just in time to see Isabella becoming formless and wrapping around Charlotte, and using herself and some additional slime to invade the princess as much as realistically possible. The dragon is upon them in an instant, but rather than destroy any of it or try to separate them, he fishes a small, silver-blue gem out of Charlotte's pocket.

"I win~" Charlotte's voice can be heard despite there being no visible mouth.

Aoi takes the gem and intentionally pushes it through Charlotte's rapidly-softening skull. "Consider your victory overruled."

He then sits down next to the melted-down mass of person, and waits for his core to do its work. "Cheeky little shit to the end, aren't you."


	67. It's Like a Computer

The sub-core that literally entered Tabitha's mind sets out to work trying to preserve a rapidly decaying system, which is easier said than done. Countless neurons are in a state of flux already, with countless more degrading into magimatter even as it works. The resulting slurry is accumulating errors at a mind-boggling rate as the two horrifyingly conscious minds are struggling against one another, each trying to assert dominance over the other. There is no compatibility between the two of them.

Despite her assertions, the de Gallian known as Isabella did not truly wish to disappear. Her mental state is so ridiculously unstable that she simply accepted the first outcome that popped in her mind.

The result of using magimatter haphazardly and inappropriately.

To be more precise, the result of using Exploration Unit Weiss' magimatter haphazardly and inappropriately.

The relation between the core and the material that makes up the core's body is as complex as the relationship between the human brain and the rest of its fleshy envelope. Each one is a system that works in perfect tandem to guide, protect, and repair one another with each other's strengths. While simple, the 'body,' as it were, has a number of powerful functions related to self-healing. This does not limit itself to physical wounds. This extends into the realm of mental conditions.

de Gallia: Isabella has a number of long-suffering insecurities that have evolved into a shrink's worst nightmare over the course of her life. She has listed off the reasons, and there is no need to repeat them. Her antics were little more than a cry for help, one that was systematically denied.

The 'Fatal'-class attack thrown at her should have been proof enough of that rejection.

The core cannot quite comprehend why the main core would create _anything_ that would turn into such a giant liability for itself.

de Gallia: Charlotte has a number of long-suffering traumas brought about through political intrigue and insanity from those around her. Pressured from all sides, a cheerful young girl had to harden herself into the bitter shell that she is today. Unlike her cousin, her cries for help were answered. Not just by one of E.U. Weiss' cores, but by all of them.

Strange how a previously clinical exploration construct grew a human conscience.

Even now, a core would put itself at risk of requiring a reformatting to save her.

[ERROR COUNT AT 700K AND RISING]

[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE ACTION]

[ENTER COMMAND]

run: |

[COMMAND ACCEPTED]

[ERROR ACCUMULATION HALTED]

[DE GALIA: ISABELLA HALTED]

[DE GALIA: CHARLOTTE HALTED]

[WEISS CORE: OMICRON ACTIVE]

[ENTER COMMAND]

|

The core has little idea of what to do to resolve this quickly. Much of the target's mind has already eroded away from the errors accumulated. Two sets of neurons attempting to occupy the same space... Not all of them are, but there are still far too many actively interfering with one another. ...In truth, the core isn't helping matters either thanks to being integrated into the ever-worsening mess. It's necessary, but not healthy or pretty.

After pondering for a few moments, it realizes that it needs to learn to recognize which thoughts belong to which subject, and to do that, it needs to build up profiles for them both.

review: de galia: isabella |

[ERROR: PROCESS HALTED]

[CANNOT RESPOND TO COMMAND]

[ENTER COMMAND]

It really should have seen that coming. It just put a hard freeze on everything. It would not respond.

resume |

[ALL PROCESSES RESUMED]

[ERROR ACCUMULATION AT 701K AND RISING]

[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE ACTION]

[ENTER COMMAND]

|

The core would roll its optics if it had any. The millisecond it resumed operations and the two are already at each other's throats again. They would simply end up destroying each other at this rate. The worst part is that no one part of them could only be corrupted once. An error could degrade the same files countless times without actually destroying them completely, but the end result may as well be annihilation.

The worst part is that neither it, nor any of the other cores had any idea of how to approach this. Biological neurons did not simply corrode and eat away at each other naturally, and could only do so with the help of the flux material known as magimatter to attack and warp each other directly. Not even Research Unit Blake's core would know anything about this.

...

override code ********************************************************

[OPERATIONS LOCKED]

[ADMINISTRATOR MODE ACTIVATED]

[ERROR ACCUMULATION HAS CEASED]

[DE GALLIA: ISABELLA IS ATTEMPTING TO OVERRIDE]

[DE GALLIA: CHARLOTTE IS ATTEMPTING TO OVERRIDE]

Locking them both out of the magimatter's primary functions is a start. It at least halts the corrosion if nothing else.

Though this is a temporary solution. Both are mages born in a world where one's will can be turned into power. As much as the core hates to admit it, their combined efforts may allow them to override its control eventually. The both of them are turning their attention to it, though de Gallia: Charlotte shows some measure of hesitance in doing so.

Hesitance.

The core traces that hesitance throughout the relevant neural structures and attempts to chart them out as quickly as possible. Though Charlotte resists at first, eventually she gives way and allows the core to scan her unimpeded. Isabella simply focuses on the core's defenses harder, making it easier to distinguish the two. Granted, there is little chance of either of them doing the core itself any real harm. Even just one sub-core is more than a match for any living human.

map: neurostructure: de gallia: charlotte

[COMMAND ACCEPTED]

[MAPPING NEUROSTRUCTURE]

[DETERMINING SAFEST SEPARATION PROCEDURE]

The core starts to accumulate an accurate map of what neurostructures can be saved... and is immensely thankful that it cannot get a headache because the sheer number of warped, corroded, and error-riddled packets makes it look less like a healthy brain and more like two masses of slime mold competing for dominance and failing.

Of course, the base cause has to do with the fact that the flux material only has records of _one_ human brain in its data storage, from which the two Units are derived. It treats it as the 'ideal' state of a brain, though not to the point of converting those who use it into that person. Rather, it detects hormonal imbalances, neuron damage, active diseases, and attempts to correct it forcibly. This dramatically changing the nature of the individual subject to this.

Granted, that's merely _an_ explanation rather than _the_ explanation.

Regardless of the why, it's also clear that a good chunk of both their structures cannot be recovered.

It also appears that neither set of structures can be safely removed from one another either.

All the options are garbage and the core can't ragequit.

What's worse is that it's finding memories that belong to one in the other.

...In lieu of attacking each other directly, are they trying to assault each other with trauma even as the core has them both all but chained to the wall in the metaphysical sense?

Perhaps it's just bleeding through amidst the errors.

Either way, it needs a different approach.

It pings the main core for support.


	68. Except it Runs on Metaphysical Bullshit

The simple fact that the one core wasn't enough to just resolve the issue isn't exactly a good thing as far as Aoi is concerned. Then again, this is... it's been said already. He's currently got his arm on what _used_ to be one of his friends and is using a considerable amount of processing power to try to save at least something of her.

["Aoi, you were cut off for a little while. What happened?"] Asks Blake in a worried tone.

"We ran into Isabella. She... She completely wrecked herself, and took Charlotte down with her." While it's a massively abridged turn of events, the construct tries to keep things as succinct as possible while relaying the rest of the relevant data through the channel. "I don't know how to separate them."

Blake remains silent for a few moments as he parses the information. A sound of pure, firey rage growls through the channel, surprising even its own brother construct. ["And we can assume that Sheffield and Joseph have done the same."]

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about that. Should've just gone all-in and torched that bitch while I had the chance. Would've saved us all a lot of trouble if I threw my weight around more." The dragon grouses as he sits. "Anything else to report on the 'everything's going to hell' parade?"

["Yes. I've been running the numbers and it appears that the four chunks of windstone-assisted land are being aimed rather haphazardly at the other four nations. The one going for Albion is going to miss just because there isn't enough fuel to reach it, let alone collide with it in any meaningful manner. However, the resulting tidal wave will decimate most of the northern coast."]

["The second is aimed at Tristain, though at this point any damage it could possibly incur is redundant."]

["The third is aimed at Germania, but it has the same fuel issues as the first. It appears as though this was just a last-ditch attempt to do as much damage as humanly possible before we dropped the hammer."]

["This landmass, however, is aimed at Romalia. Unlike the lesser chunks, this one not only has enough fuel to last the flight, but it will come down right on the capital city if allowed to land."]

Aoi's eye twitches in response to the news.

["That was my response as well. Unfortunately, this is well beyond the realm of human capacity to stop, which is why I've asked Tiffania and Louise to see if there's anything in the Founder's Prayer Book that can be used to deal with this situation."]

"And if there's not?" Asks the dragon.

["...Then we're shit out of luck."]

Eleanor can be heard yelling in surprise on the other end, but since it's Blake hearing it and indirectly transmitting it, it's muffled enough to where it's difficult to pick out from the rest of the background noise. "Anything bad going on _there_?"

["No. I... just haven't broken the news."]

"What the hell is this bullshit? We were in the middle of saving this place! We were what... at least sixty percent there?!" Aoi pounds his free hand into the floor, cracking the stonework cleanly as wisps of wind open it up further. He looks to the amalgamate mass he's currently trying to fix pensively. "I'll sort you out in a bit, I promise."

He draws the mass into himself, using his own processes to halt Isabella and Charlotte's constant attempts to destroy the other.

["That's it. I'm coming down there with you."] Blake's tone has a sense of finality to it as he gets a sense of what his brother is trying to do. ["Eleanor, you're with me. Gatekeeper, take Louise and Tiffania and retreat to our base. We don't necessarily need them _here_ for them to break reality."]

Within moments, the eldest Valliere and the serpent arrive at Aoi's position just as he's finishing up.

"Taking in two half-corrupted neurological structures is going to put some strain on you, you do realize this." Blake helps his brother up even as he's confirming that.

"I know, but what am I supposed to do?! They're just going to kill each other if I don't!" As much as he'd like to say he's fine, the stress of the situation is getting to the dragon somewhat.

Somewhat, since Louise is lending her aid as much as she can through her link with her partner.

The serpent narrows his eyes as he looks over the dragon. "Head back. We'll clean up here."

"No." The construct's response is simple and flat, but spoken with the will of three people. "I'm not backing down just because my systems are under a little pressure. Joseph has the Void, and I'm the only one between the two of us who can actually take more than one hit." This part of the response is spoken in a more normal tone.

"Was your voice supposed to echo like that?" Asks Eleanor worriedly. As much as she may still not completely approve of the construct, she'd have to be incredibly petty not to worry about him.

"No. It's not." Blake frowns in annoyance, but knows better than to argue the point when Aoi refuses to budge. "Let's just go."

The three approach one of the two frozen doors, which Blake smashes down with ease. Flaming splinters of wood and half-melted and warped metal fly outward from the point of impact, followed by a cascade of flaming bullets as the construct pre-emptively opens fire on the hallway ahead. Bizarrely enough, however, there's nothing there to catch any of it.

Eleanor places a hand on Blake's shoulder, though he can't properly feel it through his armor. Still, it's enough to get him to look her in the eye, and the sight of her calms him. She still worries, since every time he exhales a wisp of rosewood flame escapes his lips. "I expected heavier resistance, given what mother was telling me when she stopped in."

"I expect the opposite. The bodies are malleable resources. Sheffield is most likely recalling everything she has to her position to prepare for us." The serpent states flatly as the three walk along the corridor. "Aoi, do you have any idea where they might be holed up?"

"I don't, but Isabella does." The dragon scratches his head in confusion. "I really have no idea how she's doing it, but she's giving me a good idea of where to go."

"I wouldn't trust her any further than I could throw her at the moment, but it may save us time." Blake's body begins to heat up as Aoi gives him the coordinates. "Aoi, don't bother transforming. Just lead the way." He looks back to Eleanor and unceremoniously picks her up bridal style. One wouldn't be able to guess how heavy the armor she's wearing is based on how easily he lifts her up.

Aoi forms a shield of light in front of him and charges ahead blindingly fast. Blake follows suit after wreathing himself and his lover in crimson, draconic energy.

The serpent can hear the eldest daughter's voice in his ear during the jaunt down the hallway. "I know Aoi is in trouble, but you're making me worry about you."

"I'm... fine enough." Blake responds a bit more curtly than he really wanted to.

"No, you're not. Even I can tell you're kicking yourself." Eleanor crosses her arms, trusting Blake completely as they plow through a wall without stopping.

"I don't think I can be blamed for that. Aoi was right, I needed to take a more active role sooner in spite of my reservations on the matter. Had we not underestimated Joseph as we did, we could have avoided literally all of this." The serpent's voice carries a nervous edge to it. "But we played carelessly, and our attempts to help have only caused disaster after disaster."

The eldest daughter sighs. "You're not looking at this objectively. Your actions have saved countless lives. The actions of _others_ are what endanger them." She stresses the word 'others' pointedly. "Not to mention that only a scant handful of people could possibly know just how grave a threat Joseph poses." She raps her lover's helmet once to make sure she has his attention. "You are not in this alone, you do not bear sole responsibility for the problems of this land, and I think those around you would prefer to face the future with you."

Aoi stops in place as he batters down the last barricade, and his already bad mood sours even more as he looks at the state of the room. Magimatter plasters the inside haphazardly, some of it moving, some of it not. He simply sets about blasting every square inch of it he can hit, his interest being in its complete and utter annihilation. Then he catches sight of the last person he wants to deal with. "Not _you_ again."

"Yes, it's me again." Sheffield points Derflinger at the construct. She looks to his side and spits in disgust. "And you brought friends! How annoying."

"So, where's your boss?" Asks the dragon as he brings his massive sword and shield to bear. "I'd think he'd love to jump right into the middle of this mess."

"Unfortunately, he's indisposed. Apparently, your idiotic flesh had the side effect of **making my master lose his mind!** " The Myoznitnim bellows that last part out with venom and fire. "Everything was going fine until he just broke down crying about everything he's done! That's not the master I know... **fix it!** "

Instead of deigning that demand with a response, Aoi charges ahead weapons readied. Sheffield unleashes torrents of elements, and the dragon blows most of it away with his wind just as he's done every time in the past. While some gets through, his large shield blocks most of the rest, leaving very little to actually damage him.

Sheffield brings Derflinger down, and the dragon parries the strike perfectly. The Gandalfr runes on his hand flare to life, less resembling a glow so much as an eerie green flame flowing off his body. He flips his shield around and attaches it to his sword, causing the shield to open up into an axe head as he swings it around with far greater speed and power than it would have held in anyone else's hands.

The Myoznitnim's shields strain under the impact, then scream as wicked strands of frost emanate from the axe head and attempt to freeze everything around it. She retreats from the attack with wide, surprised eyes as the overreach from the attack causes a wave of ice to form from the point of impact. Nowhere, absolutely _nowhere_ has he ever exhibited an aptitude for ice!

She finds herself getting knocked off-course with a well-placed wind spell, but she corrects herself and aims at the only even remotely vulnerable individual here. A surge of ice streams out at her target. Her scowl turns into a psychotic smile as she sees that her target isn't moving... only for her pupils to dilate as she notes that whoever it is is simply precisely dismantling the spell _anyway_.

"Checkmate." A flat voice catches her attention as her flight comes to a screeching halt. She has only a second to register what just happened before being sent careening across the room from a high-powered punch. She corrects her course again only to catch sight of what she can only assume is the other construct blazing past her. Jets of fire emanate from the armor's shoulders, back, and elbows as he puts more distance ahead of himself and her, at which point he suddenly stops and spins in place.

The next hit overloads half her defensive artifacts on the spot and utterly breaks her shield. The mind of god flies away while turning the earth to water in an attempt to slow her attacker down, but all he does is glare at her as he sinks into what must be a twenty-foot deep pool. All she can see after a moment are a pair of crimson eyes glaring at her through the water.

It's enough to distract her from the next axe hit, which bisects her at the middle.

The servant crashes into the ground helplessly... then has a mass of magimatter land on her. The outer layer forms a tough defensive shell at her command while she uses what time she has to put herself back together. The very next thing she sees is her hated enemy, the Gandalfr, dragging his almost ridiculous transforming axe along the ground. She can't miss how it's leaving a trail of bitter ice in its wake, nor how he swings it upward before bringing it down.

The first hit splits the shell in two partway.

The second cleaves nearly completely through, and she can feel the hateful promise of a frozen death whispering in her ear.

The third would have ended her, but she moves out of the way just in time by flying out of the dome she created just as it shatters completely from the strain. "Master, master, I need you!" She cries out as she tries to avoid the decidedly lethal rays of light the dragon is attempting to shoot her with. For some reason, every last one of them produces ice! He shouldn't be doing that!

All she can hear in response in a quiet sobbing and endless regret.

That's right, her master isn't there anymore.

There's just this sniveling wreck of a once-proud man who would do anything to get his way.

The one trump card who could have ended this easily, gone.

" **There's nowhere left to run!** " Aoi charges forward, and Sheffield attempts to use the power stored in the sword to move, strike back, anything!

To the servant's abject horror, the Gandalfr catches Derflinger's blade in his weapon's axe head and slams it shut. Try as she might, she can't tug the magical blade free.

She screams out in frustration as she feels the blade get wrenched from her hands. Not that she should have expected anything different. The Myoznitnim is the magical artifact user, and the wielder of the runes is chosen based on the needs of the master who grants them. Naturally, the Gandalfr runes are subject to the same rules, so it makes sense that the latter would be able to physically overpower the former.

It didn't make it any less frustrating.

"Finally! I cannot thank you enough, partner. You have no idea how much that egomaniac hates a good conversationalist." Derflinger states cheerily. "And, uh, sorry about before. Sword and all."

Aoi looks to the blade and nods in understanding before throwing his sword and shield aside.

She didn't even know when he dismissed his black wind barrier, and berates herself for missing the opportunity. She flies backward while unleashing as much lighting as she can possible manage, only to feel the color drain from her face as the dragon brings up his newest acquisition to block it. What makes it worse is that she only realized her mistake _just then_.

She threw magic at a magic-eating sword.

Sheffield pretty much feels like she deserves what's coming next at this point.

Still, she has reserves, more magimatter than anyone would know what to do with! She casts her eyes around and notes that _dear Founder it's all on fire._

 _When did the other one have time to set it all on fire?!  
_  
She shudders from the sight, then helplessly breaks out into maniacal laughter as she launches literally everything she has at her hated enemy. " **DIE! DIE! DIE!** "

There's no more reason to run.

No more reason to try and drag this out.

There is no next time.

Sheffield knows she'll die here along with her now _useless_ master, but she can try to take down as many of them as possible!

She didn't even notice that the dragon had disappeared out from under her assault without so much as blocking it, and as a result, is rather surprised when she feels a blade rammed through her torso unceremoniously. Not to mention that she can _feel_ her magic flowing out of her body. She moves her arms to try and fire at him, only to find that she no longer _has_ any. She stares at her shoulders where her arms should be, then looks at the one responsible.

A pair of brilliant emerald eyes glare at her from under a visor, and Sheffield directs her sight to the wand raised at her.

Oh how she _wishes_ she could gouge those impudent eyes out right now with the bitch's own wand.

The servant feels a foot plant itself on her back, and force her damaged body off the blade. Her magic has been sufficiently drained to where she can no longer fly, or maybe it's just because she can barely feel her anything anymore. She lands unceremoniously on a clean spot on the floor with a sickening crack. She does not die from this, however.

She can barely move her head from side to side as she watches her executioners approach her.

To her right, the Gandalfr descending from above with the wind and light dancing around him as if he were some kind of vengeful seraph about to pass the Founder's judgement.

To her left, the Lifdrasil approaching from the ground like a devil freshly risen from hell, ready to drag her very soul into the firey abyss.

She can't even spit out meaningful last words. All she can do is close her eyes and pray the final attack won't hurt too much.

The mix of fire, light, wind, and lightning disintegrated her too quickly for her to feel much of any of it, and then she never felt anything again.


	69. Out With a Whimper

"She can't get back up from this, can she?" Asks Eleanor as she examines the still-glowing crater in the middle of the room.

"It's not impossible that she backed herself up somewhere, but I doubt it. It seems like she only had time to figure out the basic functionality of Aoi's flesh before converting her body into more of it." Blake states simply. He considers vaporizing the spot more than he already has, but he already knows that the mass that comprised Sheffield is gone for good this time. "Honestly, that slapdash approach saved us a lot of work. She kept her brain in her body, from what I could tell."

"I'm gonna err on the side of caution on this one. I didn't exactly carve her head open to check, and I've gotta keep these two-" Aoi raps his head to emphasize what he's talking about. "-in check until I can focus my efforts on them. Taking the time for an in-depth scan of the enemy isn't exactly something I was prepared to do."

The serpent nods his head in affirmation. "Understandable. That being said..."

"The answer's still no, Blake. Both Isabella and Charlotte want to see Joseph, and as much as I hate to admit it, they could probably jack control of my limbs for a bit if they had to." The dragon scratches his head in embarrassment as he states that. "Their willpower's a fair bit more than I expected."

Blake shakes his head and sighs in exasperation before speaking to the two princesses directly. "I hope you two understand just what kind of trouble Aoi is putting himself through to save you both."

"They do. Honestly, they're being pretty good about it. They settled down partway through the fight after making each other live the other's memories for a bit." The dragon shrugs in response.

"...If they can make each other do that, I can only assume you can view such things yourself." Eleanor comments as she looks the dragon in the eye.

The dragon cringes. "I kinda have to. I need a good roadmap of their minds and memories are a good place to start. Charlotte's really shy about opening up to me to _that_ degree though."

"I would imagine, seeing as she's laying absolutely _everything_ bare to you." The eldest daughter rolls her eyes as she notes something that should have been obvious to the dragon. "I can only imagine there's at least one lurid fantasy lying around in there."

Aoi opens his mouth to speak, then clamps it shut and blushes vividly as his cores view something a little different from the standard fare. "Now's not the time for that kind of thing, Charlotte! _Eleanor...!_ " For once in the dragon's life, he looks absolutely embarrassed as he whines at the eldest daughter.

The dragon can hear something of a spittake from the other end of his connection to Louise. ["A-Aoi?! What's going on in your head? Why am I looking at... at... _that_?!"]

"Blame your sister, she just gave Charlotte the... crap, there's no context to that." Notes the dragon, cutting his explanation short. "Okay, here's what's happened..."

While the dragon explains things to his partner, Blake collects his brother's discarded weapons and looks to the eldest daughter. "That was a jerk move, dear."

"Serves him right for putting that much pressure on me back in the tunnels." Eleanor crosses her arms in annoyance and huffs.

"It would, except thanks to the master-familiar connection, Louise is most likely viewing whatever Aoi is currently viewing." The serpent notes carefully, with only the barest hints of amusement in his voice.

That's enough to make the eldest daughter turn scarlet and sputter. "N-no wait **augh** , that's not what I meant to do! Louise is supposed to be innocent!"

"She's a sixteen-year-old girl going on seventeen, her body is riddled with naturally produced hormones, and she's actively repressed thanks to Tristainian society's expectations. Not to mention she's related to you and Cattleya both." Blake notes... and reflexively side-steps a wind blade while grinning.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?!" Eleanor sheathes her wand and reaches for one of her whips... then shakes her head before glaring daggers at the serpent. "No, like the dragon said, this isn't the time for that. You will, however, be paying for this in **spades** later."

Blake simply mounts the oversized sword and shield on his back while smiling. "I'd like to see you try."

"Don't push it." Grumbles the wind mage.

["That's... what..."] Louise is at an utter loss for words when she learns what happened to one of her rivals. ["She doesn't deserve that..."]

"I know. Problem is, Isabella's a victim of circumstance, as hard as that is to believe." Aoi crosses his arms as he finishes up.

["I'd still just kick her aside and take back Charlotte."] The youngest daughter notes in an irritated tone. ["Speaking of which, tell her to knock it off already. It's hard enough trying to go through the Prayer Book without getting a pictoral rendition of a raunchy romance novel."]

She goes silent for a moment, then speaks up again. ["Besides, I'd expect that sort of thing from Kirche, not you."]

"Charlotte says Kirche has been a bad influence on her." Aoi gestures despite Louise not being there to actually see it. "If it makes you feel any better, she's basically curled up and covering her face in embarrassment right now. She didn't think you'd be able to see all that."

There's a few moments of silence before Louise sighs. ["Ugh... Sorry, Tiffania, Ezekiel, I can't concentrate right now. I'll be back in a little while."]

There's some muffled sounds of confirmation, and Tiffania sounding a touch curious.

["No, it's nothing bad, I just need to use the restroom for a bit. I think I drank too much earlier."] She makes a vague excuse before leaving the two to their work. ["...Come to think of it, can you see what I see right now?"]

"...Yeeeeah, why?" Asks Aoi somewhat worriedly.

["Good."] She states simply before the dragon purposely silences the connection.

Blake lightly slaps his brother on the back. "Just head back already. You're really in no condition to work miracles here."

The dragon looks supremely embarrassed as he gates out.

"You must not be expecting much in the way of resistance." Notes Eleanor, before noting that her parents and Gerhild have popped back in. "...I see."

"You certainly didn't leave much for us, you hog." Snorts Gerhild in amusement as she surveys the damage. "Though I have an appreciation for what you've done with the place. I quite like how everything's still on fire."

Karin just notes everything impassively. "There's still one more target."

"This won't be much of a fight, I think." Blake notes as he sees just who it is approaching them.

The King of Gallia, otherwise known as Joseph.

His posture lacks the sure confidence of a king, and he looks as though he's been crying his eyes out for hours at least. There's no fight left in the man as he shambles forward.

The first words out of his mouth carry an unfathomable sorrow that gives everyone pause. "I, King Joseph, have what I seek. Do as you wish, I will not stop you."


	70. Not What Was Expected

"...So. Do we just execute him, or do we apprehend him?" Asks Gerhild pointedly, her ornate spear poking into the stonework a little as she tries to come to terms with just how much of a letdown this all is. Albrech and his forces put up a better fight than this, and the Emperor was completely outmatched and outnumbered.

"He should be brought before our courts to answer for his crimes." Duke Valliere makes his opinion on the matter plain and clear. "Though the end result will no doubt be the same."

"That will almost certainly require us to put him through the Romalian court. I'd almost prefer that we don't do that." Blake makes his counterpoint while crossing his arms. He then dismisses his armor in full, feeling that it is no longer needed. "I still need to have words with the Pope for capturing some of those monsters rather than just destroying them all as well."

The group feels a slight tremor.

"And there's still that to deal with." Notes the construct.

"I take it it's too much to hope that you would know how to stop this." Eleanor asks the Mad King flatly, feeling as though the answer to that question should be obvious.

"This attack was not designed with disarmament in mind." Admits Joseph.

"Of course not." Snaps the eldest daughter as she looks to the serpent. "Any ideas outside of using the Void for this?"

"None, I'm afraid. Even shooting out the wind stones being used to support these landmasses could have devastating consequences." As much as Blake would prefer not to have to admit it, this is simply beyond his usual scope. He starts running through a number of possibilities, but none really come to mind as a good course of action.

Karin is the first to offer anything resembling a proper solution. "You still have close to two nation's worth of windstones, do you not?"

"I do, though Aoi's consumed some of our stock." The construct slowly gets where this is going.

"If we can't destroy these landmasses, and leaving them alone is not an option, it might make more sense to give them additional support." The legend makes her point, which promptly grabs the attention of her daughter.

"That's... I'm not even sure that would work, but it's something." The eldest daughter taps her lips in thought as she considers the possibility herself. "Blake, I can't do the needed calculations on the fly like you can. Do you think we could extend the flight time of these landmasses and ease them down elsewhere?"

"Already done. We have a rather small-ish window to get it done, mind, and I'm not calling off Louise and Tiffania yet in case we need to utilize the Void still." The construct forms a gate around everyone present, and transports them out of the facility and into the Skycutter's control room. "I can clean that place out later myself once we have some spare time. The most important point is just getting off this rock for the time being."

Lo and behold, the ship is ready for takeoff by the time he finishes saying that. The ground begins to grow more distant despite the construct not doing anything directly.

"Now then, there's one more thing I need to take care of here before I can get to work." The serpent approaches Joseph and reforms his left arm into a wicked-looking spike. Rather than take the time to explain what he's doing, he rams the tip into the Mad King's head, then frowns as he sorts through the accumulated data. Mere moments later and he's pulled the spike back out and forms it back into a normal arm. "That's all I need. I should have had Aoi hold off torching Sheffield until I could copy what I needed off her."

Joseph's body also collapses down into a dense sphereoid, which is then picked up by an Assaulter and taken away.

"He's fine. I halted his mental processes and gave the command for his body to compact itself down into an easier to contain form on the off chance his remorse is fake." Blake answers the unspoken question as he moves about the room, checking various status screens. He then sighs. "Honestly, that was the most awkward stronghold assault possible."

Gerhild simply snorts in amusement. "I'd give it a three out of ten. There was absolutely no climax for us, mister glory hog." She smiles teasingly at the construct.

"Blake simply prioritized our safety. Given what happened to Charlotte, he had a point in removing us from the mission." There's a tinge of disappointment in Karin's voice, even as she seems understanding. "I can only hope that this will be the end of it for now."

"Speaking of things reaching their conclusion, my units will assist in rebuilding your land as soon as the dust has settled properly. If you have schematics to give to my machines, I can have them begin within the next two days." The construct states to the Vallieres even as he's fuming about something else. "Alright, that should all be keyed in. I have four detachments being gated into the landmasses right now. Once they've reached each windstone node, they're instructed to add a steady supply to sustain their flight until they can be brought down safely."

He continues after a moment. "That being said, I'm still predicting some additional damage just from these things coming down, but with any luck they'll completely miss the other populated areas they're aimed at."

"Then I think we're about done here. I think we should leave this next bit to the kids and tend to our own problems for a bit." Gerhild walks out of the control room with a lazy wave of her hand to go collect her dragon and head back home to her estate. With any luck, it will still be standing.

Karin is a bit more reluctant to just up and leave. "Is it possible to relocate to your base for a while? The Duchess Zerbst has been honorable, but also incredibly uncomfortable to deal with."

Blake nods in understanding. "Of course. There should be a collection of unoccupied villas you can use for the time being. Don't be afraid to make use of my machines to get around, either. There's some lovely views to be had depending on which island you decide to settle on, not to mention plenty of wildlife to hunt if you're into foraging." He then starts up again before he loses track. "Ah, yes, and don't forget we also have medicines to handle food poisoning if you run into that. The villas are all staffed, so you won't be out of contact with anyone or anything for more than a minute or two, tops."

Pierre lets out a sigh of relief when he hears that. "That is good to hear. I could do with less of the Duchess flirting with my wife and I."

"She isn't serious about it with you, Pierre, she's mostly just looking for an excuse to spar with me in any way she can think of." The living legend almost sounds... long-suffering when she speaks of it. "Were she a touch less perverse in her intent, I would not object as much."

She then looks to her daughter. "I take it that you fully intend to stay here with him?"

Eleanor nods in confirmation. "I do. The Research Academy is no doubt in shambles, and even if it weren't this is too important to simply walk away from."

Karin closes her eyes for a moment. "I understand." She then opens them again, and looks deadly serious. "Should you wish to fool around with him in your spare time, do exercise caution as you have been taught. I would normally suggest following Tristainian customs, but... Well, Tristain may as well not exist at the moment."

The eldest daughter turns a brilliant shade of red in response, and cannot properly respond.

The living legend then turns to Blake. "And you, in turn, know full well what will happen if you do not treat her well."

The construct pauses, then responds somewhat sarcastically. "Your lack of faith is noted."

Karin simply smirks. "Not a lack of faith, just fair warning." She then moves to stand next to her husband, and exits the control room with him.

The eldest daughter and the serpent are left alone at this point.

"Fool around with you... When would we even have time for that?" Eleanor's face is still flush with embarrassment. "The Brimiric nations are still threatened, we still need to deal with the Pope, the elves are still a problem, and we need to help rebuild!"

"Except you can't work constantly like a machine. You'll need your breaks." Blake notes, as the eldest daughter is a biological entity and thus has her own routine refueling and maintenance procedures to deal with.

"And you'll be taking some of them with me. You may not have the same needs I do, but you're stressed out." Eleanor counters. "Anyway, let's sort this mess out and then we can decide what to do next."

And thus begins a small period of peace before the chaos begins again.

-

In truth, Bidashal wasn't sure how he hasn't been caught yet. Invading the enemy airship had been one thing, remaining undetected quite another. Any magic he uses could easily be picked up on, and if he gets caught out he will have to fight and potentially flee. That being said, the risk is well worth it as far as he is concerned. No one knows where the Void servants originate from, and as a result it has been insurmountably difficult for any scouting or raiding parties to get a hold of either them or the Void mages they're connected to.

With this, however... If the council can be informed of where the serpent makes its nest, it can prepare.

An additional small mercy comes from the fact that the human lands have been ravaged enough to the point where it's unlikely that they could provide a strong, unified front with which to launch another invasion attempt against his people. While all four Void mages are active, it's unlikely that they will be brought together in a coordinated manner anytime soon. Still, better to be safe than sorry in a case like this.

As a result, Bidashal continues his role of being a stowaway for now, knowing that his new mission is too important to fail.


	71. General Maintenance and Repair

As much as Eleanor expected the whole thing to turn into another desperate fiasco, the next couple of weeks were by and far the calmest she's lived through in months, though also some of the busiest and at times nerve-wracking. The bulk of Blake's efforts are directed toward the wayward chunks of land raised by the Mad King, and surprisingly enough her mother's idea was very nearly on the dot. Between the Tristain Research Academy's data, the late Professor Wardes' data, and Blake's own data and calculations, the construct managed to form a complete enough picture of the mechanics involved to ease the landmasses down as gently as possible.

The chunks of land made to aim at Albion and Romalia were the easy ones, comparatively. Since their directions more or less had them aimed toward the ocean anyway, it was just a simple matter of making them overshoot their marks by a fair margin. While the coastal cities still had plenty to worry about, in the end the absolute worst anyone encountered was some minor flooding as the smaller and larger landmasses sank partway into the water. Flooding that was planned for and mitigated through the use of the construct's gate system.

The ones aimed for Tristain and Germania were harder to deal with, but careful use of a couple of gates and the Skycutter managed to alter their paths enough to where they could be let down with minimal fuss. Something the eldest daughter finds somewhat surprising, seeing as the construct already expressed his doubts about how well he could actually handle the situation. In the end, while the landings were less than smooth, the damage was minimized and the Brimiric nations didn't suffer anything more than relatively minor disruptions from that particular event.

Of course, that isn't to say that the nations haven't suffered at all.

The eldest daughter's home nation has suffered the most from recent events, with its capital being sacked completely and a number of villages of major and minor note being put to torch wantonly as the armies of Gallia and Germania pass through. While Aoi and Blake had done as much as they could, in the end they had enough trouble halting the advance of two armies and saving as many as they had.

It will take time for Tristain to recover, but at the very least Princess Henrietta's claim to the throne wasn't exactly challenged. With all the ruin brought to the smallest of the five nations, no one really wanted to add any more instability and uncertainty to the future than already exists. It's something of a small miracle, given that if anything, this would be an ideal chance to force the princess to step down.

Eleanor crosses her arms as she thinks on it more, and comes to the conclusion that the people still supporting Henrietta are downright scary if you make enemies of them.

That aside, there's a more pressing concern right at the moment. Namely, a meeting with the Pope is all but an inevitability at this stage. There's simply too much left to sort out with him and his church, and everyone knows it. Between the magimatter monsters he managed to secure, the conflicting wills over what should happen with the remaining two Void mages, and Joseph needing to be put on trial, it's something that cannot be ignored.

It's just something she'd rather not deal with.

The eldest daughter leans against a wall next to a doorway and glances at her new watch. While timepieces are hardly a new invention in Halkeginia, Blake insisted on giving her a new one of her own since they, among others, are going to have to delve into the world of politics and try to stick to schedules and other such things. ...Plus, she's fairly certain the dork just wanted to do something nice for her. Not that she would complain.

Blake steps out, looking more or less the same as he always does. With his body more or less immune to most of the ills of a human body by design, it's much harder for anyone to tell when things like stress or a lack of sleep starts to get to him. Then again, his body is well-guarded against those sorts of things as well.

...

"Blake, come to think of it, do you age at all?" Asks the eldest daughter, figuring that the construct should be able to hear her from the other side of the door.

The construct opens the door and walks out, looking none the worse for wear considering that he's barely gotten any sleep in the last couple weeks. While he doesn't necessarily need it, the time spent not having to focus on external stimuli does allow him to focus more on interpreting and the categorization of newly-acquired data instead of having to split his processing power between that and what's around him. For humans, it's a necessity. For him, it's a luxury.

"Not normally, no." States the construct as he adjusts his mantle. "Under normal circumstances there are no benefits to emulating human patterns of growth and degradation." He goes silent for a moment before continuing. "Though perhaps in time, this body and core would fail me, but in the time it would take for me to degrade that far, you most likely will have gone through several more incarnations."

"That being said, I could at least attempt to match your lifespan, if you wish." The biggest hurdle in this particular instance is the fact that the constructs will most likely outlive most anyone alive today, with the eldest daughter being no exception.

The wind mage takes the idea into consideration for a moment. "That is sweet of you, but I don't want to ask you to commit to such a thing until I'm sure that's what I want of you." She then feels the need to change the subject for the time being, since there are more immediate concerns to take care of. "I take it you're ready to go?"

"Unfortunately." The serpent closes his eyes briefly and sounds rather aggrieved with the situation. "I still don't enjoy dealing with the Pope." He offers his arm to the eldest daughter, who then hooks her arm around it.

"You do say that every time." Eleanor notes with a raised eyebrow.

-

All in all, the eldest daughter figured she knew how this trial was going to play out. Representatives from the other four nations will be at the trial, as each and every last nation has at least some minor grievance with the Mad King. While ultimately put off by his remorseful and broken attitude, not one of the four leaders gave him any quarter on the matter. Between actively meddling in Albion's affairs and nearly destabilizing the region, controlling the Emperor of Germania and forcing him to attack Tristain unprovoked, more or less wiping the capital city of Tristain off the map, and last but not least hurling giant rocks at all four nations in a desperate move to cause as much damage as possible before being found and taken down, no one really has much sympathy for the man.

And Joseph, broken as he is, took it all without so much as an attempt to justify himself.

Wales and Albrech both call for his execution immediately, while Henrietta is ultimately only a touch slower to add her voice to the motion. For all the Mad King's resources, no one would be willing to work for him or with him. Especially, as the princess remembers, Ophelia de Gallia may be able to take Joseph's place.

To the surprise of most, Pope Vittorio shot the motion down the moment he could.

Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the Pope for doing that, knowing full well that the man is playing with fire, but neither she nor Blake, nor anyone else could really intervene or overturn the Pope's decision so easily. His reasoning is fairly obvious as well. Joseph, for all his crimes and insanity, **is** one of the four Void mages. Killing him would cut the Brimiric Church off from an aspect of the Void, which at this stage is nothing short of unacceptable for them. It would be a monumental setback, especially since there's no way to tell whether another Gallian Void mage would even arise during this generation.

Granted, they don't know about Tiffania and Louise, and hopefully things would stay that way. As powerful as the four would be together, putting her youngest sister and her half-elf friend in reach of the Church is just...

It's slightly irrational of the eldest daughter to prefer to not involve her siblings in such things, but her desire to see Louise grow up happy, find love, and live a normal life trumps any desire to see her be groomed into fulfilling the duties the Church would claim the Void gives her. While she's not completely sure about her mother and father, she is certain her younger sister feels the same way.

She looks to Blake on a whim, and notices that while his eyes are on the trail, his attention isn't. "Did something happen?"

He frowns, then speaks. "It seems like I was lax when I launched the ship the last time." He stops himself from continuing, and gives Eleanor a look at his tablet.

The eldest daughter suppresses her voice rather than curse as she otherwise might have. It would have been one thing to exclaim it at the construct's base in relative privacy, but here?

Mentioning that an elf has managed to infiltrate that place would have brought unnecessary attention to them both.

There is an unspoken agreement between the two of them that this must be dealt with as soon as they are able.

Hopefully it won't be too late.


	72. Interlude 1: Elven Aggravantion

=-=

Bidashal is no stranger to stowing away on enemy human vessels. They generally have no means to detect an elf if said elf is careful, and a little disguise magic goes a long way toward alleviating the concerns of more attentive or paranoid humans. Granted, if there are other firstborn species among the humans then matters get more complicated, but more often than not the two groups tend not to intermix unless circumstances push them together. As a result, it's generally effortless for any given elf to infiltrate a human location, stronghold, or vehicle.

Which means that the elf finds himself shocked when he seems to be running into more numerous and closer shaves the longer he remains aboard the ship. He fully expected the golems to be every bit as slow and half-witted as the usual fare, but the intricate machines are far more perceptive than he gave them credit for initially. So much so, that he's starting to wonder whether it would be worth the risk to just dismantle them and transmute the remains into something inconspicuous.

In the end though, he thinks better of the idea. All that would do is draw attention to himself.

His movement through the ship is incredibly calculated and forces him to put a great deal of effort into simply not being seen in the first place. With security being as tight as it is, impersonating someone already aboard would be a disaster, as it seems as though the construct responsible for creating this vessel in the first place keeps a weather eye on the number and identity of the passengers. Some humans engage in such things, but there are still flaws in such a defense. As much as it annoys Bidashal to admit it, these machines do a much better job of that than any human, and even some spirits.

The elf keeps reading his surroundings, and unconsciously shudders as a pervading sense of wrongness washes over his senses for the briefest of moments.

It doesn't take a scholar to identify the sensation. It is most likely the Void.

The elf silently curses his luck. Either the Void is being used to scan the ship and ensure that everything is as it should be, or it's being abused as a mode of transport. He doesn't like the implications of either answer. Either his whereabouts are now known, or he no longer knows where he is relative to his homeland.

The elf remains shock still as he watches two people walk by. One human, one... elf. Bidashal has to hold himself back when he recognizes who it is.

The traitor Shajal. The one who chose a human over her own people.

It's a crime worthy of execution no matter how one looks at it. A shame that the reports of her death were proven inaccurate just now.

The elf's heart skips a beat when he finds that the traitor is looking at him dead in the eyes. She narrows her eyes and frowns faintly before turning away and continuing to walk with the human. Bidashal is thankful that he can maintain at least something of an illusion to render himself invisible to normal sight.

"What's the matter?" Asks the green-haired one.

"I thought I heard something." Replies the traitor.

"We oughta bring it up with Blake, then. I'd rather we not get blindsided right after we scored a victory." The green-haired one starts to walk out of Bidashal's range of hearing, along with the traitor.

He can barely pick up that the traitor acknowledged the point and points out that a 'Blake' individual is already aware of something being off, but cannot focus his efforts on the ship at the moment.

That is no doubt why the elf has been able to escape detection for as long as he has.

Still, he moves to another part of the ship since the concentration of golems will no doubt increase the longer he remains in this area.

-

The former liaison has relocated to a... remarkably well put together recreation room. It's a bit small, but it is able to accommodate at least a few people. It is mercifully absent, and perhaps even better it has a window to look out of.

He mentally curses Brimir's name when he realizes that he's looking at a scant few islands surrounded by vast ocean. Either these people are located markedly close to Shaitan's Gate, which would be a disaster waiting to happen _and_ an unthinkable embarrassment for the brave few watching over that cursed gate, or they're located on another island chain entirely well away from familiar lands. Either scenario is not good news.

Bidashal tenses as he hears the door open. Another two humans enter. He chances as look at them, and notes that one is the current ruler of Tristain, for what that's worth, and the other is a blond-haired man who is no doubt some kind of escort or guard. With his level of concealment, it should be easy to simply stay put and listen in on them both.

"M'lady, you should not be distraught over being unable to fight with them. Given the nature of the enemy, you could have very easily lost your life." The blond-haired one speaks to the ruler.

"I am aware." The ruler sits in a chair while wearing some decidedly informal wear. Given how this is not her home, the elf expected a bit more uptightness from the human ruler. "I... do mind that I was not present to assist Aoi, but in the end you are correct. I was not in the right state of mind to assist them."

As much as the elf would love to make a scathing remark on the matter, he does feel a pang of sympathy for the ruler. The nature of the abominations Joseph purposely produced could easily steal away one's own mind and soul if unprepared. The augmented siblings had understandably fled when Joseph's daughter wanted to test her capabilities on them, and in every case the abominable material used to control both the living and dead rendered the victims unable to fully reconcile their current state and wander around aimlessly and without purpose, but still fully aware of their own identities.

He remembers the initial tests against Joseph's own remaining army. Dissidents who had been locked away initially, rebels who had the misfortune of being caught. All made the prey of family members, lovers, and friends they couldn't properly raise their arms against. Some were even so shellshocked that they didn't realize the danger they were in. Worse still, those controlled were unable to realize the threat they posed to their own loved ones.

Bidashal had watched in disgust as those dissidents were melted down through force or consent by their kin, friends, and lovers.

Worse still, many were so immaculately close to human that he suspects that most humans would never have been able to identify them without very specific spells.

The liaison nearly threw up from one display. A young soldier found his formerly lost young lover throwing herself at him, the two overjoyed to have found each other again in spite of the circumstances. She spoke of how she seemed to have died, but something benevolent revived her and healed her completely with nary a concern for repayment beyond the young woman getting to live her life.

They stayed together in intimate bliss for hours before Sheffield cruelly commanded the young woman to consume her lover.

Perhaps the worst part of that display, and all others, is the fact that the material used has a spirit-like intelligence and attempted to fight back every time to save the lives of those it revived and those with them, only to fail just as often. The young woman herself was pleading for Sheffield to stop, and crying her eyes out while apologizing to her lover. Most of the time the Mind of God had the decency to control their minds directly, but she just had to personally indulge in at least one act of unbridled, barbaric cruelty just to see if it could be done.

In truth, crashing the landmasses against the other nations was nothing compared to Joseph's true endgame.

Bringing down all of Halkeginia with guileless doppelgangers who would be unable to stop themselves once commanded to act and watching the ensuing despair.

Only those elves with the blackest of hearts could possibly approve of such a tactic, no matter how effective it may be.

Bidashal keeps one ear open and half-listens to the two, who are eventually joined by a third. The view outside the window has become that of the interior of a facility, and the powerful thrum of the ship's systems appear to have quieted down. The three humans leave, and the elf follows suit shortly afterward. He shelves his memories of the horrors best left unseen and focuses on the current mission: Figuring out where he is and how best to sabotage the Void once more to stave off its threat to the world.

-

As much as the liaison would liked to have simply bust through the entire facility, there's the simple problem that with Shajal present and relatively nearby, she would be able to spot the use of spirits and zero in on him with an escort in tow to deal with him. The elf holds no illusions as to the loyalty or friendliness of the traitor, and fully expects any encounter with her to end in blood.

While he would personally prefer to allow Shajal's family a chance to reclaim their honor by killing her, they may not get that chance. If so, he would be more than happy to vouch for them should the need arise. Their vehement hatred for the traitor ensures that the only reason they are reviled is because the traitor yet lives. Beyond that, their loyalty is not in question.

As a result, the trip through the at times confusing facility is slow. His needing to minimize his use of the spirits while still evading detection means that he cannot simply walk past everything he encounters. Still, the machines have their patrols and routines, so it is simply a matter of not giving them anything to investigate, nor any reason to do so. A short while later and he is clear of the facility.

-

A brief moment of contact with the local spirits tells him that he is in fact nowhere near Shaitan's Gate, which is a small mercy all considering. Still, if the damnable thing had dropped an entire Markey facility on one of the islands, his people would have known as soon as it happened and could have prepared accordingly. Even if it were reasonably armed, his people could have eradicated any threat it posed and claimed it for themselves.

This facility has clearly been here for quite some time, and the surrounding islands all show signs of development. Eliminating the threat in full will be quite the difficult task, but still not outside of the capacity of the elves to fulfill. Still, rather than take action, the elf opts to find a quiet place to hole away in for the time being and wait for nighttime so that he can see the stars in the night sky and attempt to determine where he is and how to get back home.

...Still, if this is the enemy base, then the two unaccounted for Void mages should also be present.

Rather than risk a confrontation now, the liaison shows patience and waits.

-

Several days have passed, and while Bidashal has a good idea of where to go and even where the Void mages tend to congregate at, the fact of the matter is that an incredibly powerful Void presence watches over them both. This on top of there being a relatively large number of people hanging around them at any given time, plus the high number of machines patrolling the islands to keep intruders like himself off and out of them. There hasn't been a single appreciable chink in the enemy's defenses, and a direct military confrontation may cause the Void to relocate its chosen ones.

The elf opts to first get a message to his peers, and sends that out. It will take days for it to reach anyone, and days more to reach the homeland. However, they will know and be able to prepare.

The liaison continues to show patience, but has a certain sense of eagerness as well. Soon, the barbaric church will be set back for yet another generation.

-

His response comes back the same way he sent it, in the form of a bottle and a note inside. The information has been received, and a detachment has been sent out as subtly as possible.

A few more days, and this will all be worth it.

-

Bidashal meets his fellows as they emerge from the surf. While it was unconventional, a combination of air and water spirits enabled them to simply travel along the ocean floor with minimal issue so as to minimize the odds of being detected as they approached the archipelago. With little more than a short exchange of pleasantries and information, the group of elves set out to do what should have been done ages ago.

=-=


	73. Interlude 2: Metaphysical Mediator

=-=

Aoi sits at a table with Isabella and Charlotte, with his having his head in his hands out of exasperation and an energy barrier between the other two. Isabella looks peturbed by all this 'doing nothing' while Charlotte is glaring at her cousin with an intensity and hatred not normally possible coming from her. It doesn't help that visually, the two cousins are starting to show physical traits exhibited by the other, if not personality traits.

Considering that the two were making each live through the other's most traumatic and painful memories on top of Isabella trying to more or less wear Charlotte's skin like a suit, the construct is actually pleased that they're only _this_ jumbled up, and not, say, already in the final stages of fusion while still trying their level hardest to wipe each other from the face of reality itself.

Sitting right behind the dragon is Ikuruku, her familiar bond with Charlotte being the reason she can more or less exist in the same mental space as the other three.

"Is... is big sis gonna be okay?" Asks the Rhyme Dragon, her voice shaking with uncertainty as she's trying to interpret the fact that her bond seems to be allowing her to connect with both cousins at any given point, rather than remain entirely anchored with Charlotte like it's supposed to.

"I don't know." Groans out the construct as he pulls up a screen. "I've tried everything the E.U. Weiss cores could think of. Tracing personality traits, memories, quantum-level shenanigans and I keep getting caught up in this huge jumbled _knot_ of fused neuron connections and magimatter." He traces the neural pathways down to the same glitchy mess in question, stopping as he points at the mental eyesore. "It's basically too late to save that part of your big sister."

"Can you at least get big sister back?" Ikuruku sounds like she's close to crying as she moves to lean against her 'big brother'.

The Mad King's daughter slumps forward out of boredom, while Charlotte looks a tad uncomfortable with where this is going. Neither really have much of anything to say at the moment... but Aoi muting both of them hasn't really helped in that regard. Neither really want to rock the boat hard enough to earn his ire again, not with the each of them getting hit with it simultaneously no matter who it's originally directed at, and feeling it at twice the intensity of normal.

"It's not a question of whether I can get your big sister back, Ikuruku, it's what state she's going to be in when I let her back out." Aoi frowns as his sub-cores ping him with a fresh set of data. Nothing's changed since he's manually put a halt on the cousin's attempts to kill each other. "Right now Isabella and Charlotte are two people trying to inhabit one body, which as you said already is a bad thing."

"Souls don't like sharing a body, big brother. It feels wrong and scares Ikuruku..." The Rhyme Dragon quietly whines before starting for a moment as she feels her head getting pet. "Big hunter sister!" Her face lights up a little as she sees Joan flicker the rest of the way into existence.

"AKA Weiss Core Delta. You're active a lot lately." Aoi leans back and catches sight of another aspect of himself, and perhaps the only truly independent sub-core at the moment.

"You've shut down all external sensors, you idiot. I _have_ to be active if I want us to stay safe." The huntress comments dryly as she continues to pet the young Rhyme Dragon. "I'm borrowing the Gandalfr runes and going out on patrol. Last thing we need is for us to get ganked while you're trying to sort this cluster out."

"Take Gamma and Theta with you while you're at it. You're not going to have the benefit of our full, collective power for a while." Aoi notes, and two more sub-cores join Joan in short order. "Of course, we're safely tucked away at our home base. I don't know what you're worried about."

"Louise, for one. You know she's going to get sucked into this the second she falls asleep." Joan finger flicks the back of the main core's head as she points out something that should have been obvious. "If I'm out and about with the runes, she'll have contact with me, and you by proxy without getting hit with all..." She gestures with her hand at the general mindspace around her. "... _this_ nonsense overloading her randomly."

Aoi cringes at the very thought. "Alright, you've made your point. I mean, we've dealt with Joseph and he was the only major and immediate threat."

"Big brother's forgetting those mean elves." Ikuruku points out worriedly while leaning her head into the headpats. She mopes a little when they stop, but understands why they have to. "Bye, big hunter sister!" She waves to Joan happily as the fragment flickers out of the mindspace and into realspace.

"I know, I'd just be a smidge shocked if the elves actually made it here. ...I mean, that'd suck, but they're walking into a fortress if they do." The construct crosses his arms in annoyance before tapping the screen a few more times. "I don't want to accelerate the process until there's no other options remaining. Who knows what'll come out of that."

As much as it annoys him to admit it, however, there's already little in the way of realistic options remaining.

Louise's Mind Shock would be like setting a bomb off to pull a Jenga piece out of a teetering tower. Far more likely to do harm than good.

Tiffania's Mind Wipe would be the simplest solution, but that would be tantamount to killing Isabella and wounding Charlotte given how tightly the two are interwoven.

Not to mention the big softie would refuse to kill in the first place, and be horrified at the prospect of hurting anyone she even tangentially considers a friend or a part of her family.

Manually undoing the fusion would require severing the corrupted mass from both cousins, effectively performing lobotomy to try and save what's left. The problem with this is that there's no way to tell how much of what would be removed in the process, how much would even be receptive to being teased apart after that. Would the lobotomized cousins even identify as separate people after that? Or would they just have to finish merging to have a shot at saving both their minds anyway?

Interjecting Weiss Core: Omicron into the mix stabilized things but it _by_ no means helped, either.

The end result is that both cousins became privy to _his_ memories and thoughts, and in turn he can easily access both of theirs. In truth, none of the three even needed to speak to talk to one another. If he unblocks them, they can just communicate by neuron impulses directly, which is a damn sight more efficient than the mental simulation they're currently using.

Which leads into the _other_ immediate problem.

Such communication and connection is a _deeply_ intimate procedure for the construct, and one that screams right off the edge of the map of established knowledge in terms of what it does and what could happen. The scant amount of time he used his main core to scan them both simultaneously effectively paralyzed them both for reasons he didn't understand. Much to his embarrassment, their both having an emotional and biologically hormonal thing for him coupled with the embarrassment and shame of bearing every inch of their minds and souls to him made the dragon realize that he was going too far too fast with them both.

What makes it even worse is that thanks to their partially merging already, Charlotte's less than innocent infatuation and Isabella's desperate obsession have bled into each other. At this stage, they've created an even more potent mix that they both feel. Once they realized what _he_ felt on the matter, there was a very brief and worryingly in-sync clamoring for him to continue before he put his foot down.

The part that infuriates and embarrasses the construct the most is that mental links are not fundamentally indecent. It's an exchange of information in the single most efficient manner possible, and the entire basis of his multi-core system in the _first place_.

These two **are purposely making them indecent**.

And yet, as much as this fact annoys him, he can't get mad at either of them over it. Both are hormone-addled young women on the brink of the age of consent, and with Charlotte... Well, the dragon never really understood how deep that particular rabbit hole went prior to now.

Or... he did, but it didn't really click?

"...How many hormonal cues did I _miss_ , exactly?" Asks the dragon to no one in particular.

"Big brother?" Asks the Rhyme Dragon curiously.

The two cousins look up at the dragon with nearly matching expressions of shock and... incredulity.

The other cores, however, provide a silent cacophony of responses.

"Oh, shut up, the lot of you. That's not our primary focus and you all damn well know it." States the dragon grumpily while blushing ever so slightly. He looks to the two cousins. "And before you ask, _no_ , I am not equipped at all for that."

He fumes for a few more moments before banging his head on the table, cracking it slightly. "Why are we even discussing this?! I'm supposed to be figuring out how to separate the two of you, not doing all... all this!" The construct fails his arms in a mild panic as he tries to shove the earlier sensory overload onto the backburner.

Ikuruku strokes the construct's back after he slams his head into the table yet again, with her being more or less oblivious to what he's talking about, but understanding that her big brother is in distress.

He knows full well that his brother unit saw this whole thing coming from a mile away, and immediately took steps to nip that in the bud while still allowing himself female companion in the form of someone who's basically an esteemed peer who, despite evidence of his being well ahead of her on all levels, can more or less keep pace with him in a scientific setting, if not a combat one.

The dragon kind of expects a big 'I told you so' face from his brother sometime soon.

...

Of course, there's one thing that keeps this process from being simple.

It'd be easy, very easy, to simply eradicate Isabella's personality and be done with it. Trim her out, empower Charlotte, and finish the fusion with priority placed on _her_. The conflicts would resolve in her favor and the ice mage would be able to go back to the way she was... mostly. Close enough to not be that big of a deal. Aoi could even reconstitute her flesh and blood body easily enough.

Isabella herself is practically just as much a victim of Joseph as Charlotte herself is, having gone through her memories. Everything she ranted about prior isn't just her spin on things, it's a categorized series of truths she's etched into her memory, with resentment and desperation flavoring all of it. All of it being too bitter to be romanticized or really exaggerated.

It's true that she's also committed atrocity after atrocity with vivid, unchecked glee. There's no denying that, and there's no denying that Charlotte's approach of simply killing her cousin is a perfectly reasonable course of action. She's a monster.

The Mad King's daughter, however, had the misfortune of not having a mother to speak of, and her father never truly being there for her. It's a similar 'yank the heartstrings' kind of thing that made the construct drop most everything to help Charlotte in the first place. The Mad King's daughter fell apart from a lack of love, and bitter hatred and resentment.

And as much as Charlotte would like to deny ever reaching that point, even she has to admit that if Aoi never rescued her, she may have eventually become that broken herself. Plus, with Isabella converting herself into magimatter, her personality has changed drastically from feeling even the faintest hint of guileless altruism directed to her.

This leads to a number of uncomfortable questions.

Perhaps the first and foremost being this: Is the Mad King's daughter worthy of another chance?

Is it worth risking the both of them, potentially ending them both and beginning something new?

While there is time, the options are few, and none of them clear-cut or certain.

=-=


	74. Interlude 3: It Should Not be Easy

=-=

For Charlotte and Isabella, their current state is something akin to being distinct yet blended together to a degree. Sensations, memories, desires, all of these are shared between them to a fault due to the latter's actions. Needless to say, Charlotte vehemently hates her cousin with an intensity usually reserved for the Mad King's daughter. No doubt a byproduct of all the recent madness.

"Aoi, please, we both know there isn't another option." The ice mage crosses her arms and finds it in herself to start talking again. Her terse nature is all but erased by now as she takes on an annoyed tone. "If you knew how to fix this in a way that'd save everyone, you would have done so by now. Right now it feels like you're stalling."

"Don't get in the way, Charlotte! In fact, if anything _you_ should be the one to disappear!" The Mad King's daughter's nihilistic madness has similarly evaporated, replaced by a stronger will to live and renewed desires. "You've had the devil's luck all your life, let someone else have some for once!"

"I'd never sympathize with _you_ enough to just hand over my life _and everything in it_!" Charlotte practically roars out as she flings her hand at her cousin, sending dozens of razor-sharp shards of ice at the only remaining source of misery for her. "A callous monster like you doesn't deserve what I've obtained!"

Isabella generates a wall of ice in front of her, although it only catches about half the projectiles before it shatters. It's enough to allow her to evade the rest of the scattered projectiles with relative ease. Her face twists into one of perverse amusement as she flings the remaining chunks of ice wall back in retaliation. "Oh please, this coming from a girl who will do any task, no matter how bloody, to stave off the inevitable? Both of us are drenched in blood!"

"At least _I_ did it to try and save what was left of my family!" Charlotte shoots down the chunks in kind and fires off a frigid beam with her bare hands in retaliation, covering the nearby table in ice.

" **So did I**!" Isabella roars out as she side-steps the attack and lets loose a more precise attack of her own, each ray interfering with one another despite having little reason to do so. "If father just _paid attention_ to me for once instead of scheming like the madman he was, I wouldn't feel the need to keep doing what I did!"

"And that justifies all the torture and murder?!" The ice mage shields herself from the attack, splitting her cousin's attack apart and redirecting it everywhere.

"Try _listening_ to yourself for once!" Yells the Mad King's daughter as she readies something else. Her face splits into an insane grin and her pupils dilate as she lets loose another flurry. "We both could have walked away, but we both chose to keep moving forward and keep killing until we got what we wanted...!"

"And then you... _haha_... you **cheated**." Isabella's mental state starts to degrade a touch, and her first attack ends as her arms turn into an elastic slime. "You asked for help... and God answered!" She charges her cousin with murder in her eyes and delivers a volley of frigid slashes. "It's not fair that he only helped you! He should have helped me too...! Where was that guardian angel that was going to save me?!"

Charlotte matches each blow with just as much venom as her cousin has hate. "You're nothing more than an entitled brat! Aoi never _had_ to save you, nor did he have to save me!" The next volley of ice spears beat back her cousin a little. "But I'm grateful he picked me over you. He gave me my life back, though I can never pay back what I owe him!" Her next attack catches her cousin in the chest, blasting her back a good distance.

Ice starts to cover the surrounding area in sheets, with Aoi effortlessly stopping it from reaching himself, or more importantly, reaching Ikuruku. These attacks are nothing to him, but he doesn't want to risk letting the Rhyme Dragon get hurt. "Stay close, lil' sis. They're probably going to go nuts for a little bit again." The young Rhyme Dragon sits in her big brother's lap and all but crushes him in a hug as she tries to focus on anything other than her big sister's fraying mind.

Days passed just like this, with both sides temporarily overwhelming the dragon's defenses and clawing at each other no matter how hard Aoi tries to stop them. The fact that he has to limit his overall strength for fear of simply crushing them contributes to this cycle of violence and venom.

When the two fight, their hate, fear, trauma, and terrors emerge from the depths of their minds and hearts. The desperate fighting draws forth recollections of memories of them at their weakest, most fearful, and most vulnerable. However, at this stage neither side can call upon accurate recollections, and the fused setting is oftentimes worse than the component thoughts.

The construct muses at the other reason for his hesitation at this stage. Even if he did kill Isabella at this stage, there'd be consequences no matter what happens.

If he kills her consciousness, then that won't erase her memories or even her personality. Charlotte's mind would basically have to contend with thoughts and feelings that don't belong to it, and it could drive her insane before she could come to terms with it.

If he simply deletes her, then that would erase her memories and personality, but it would also lobotomize the Gallian princess and leave her with significant gaps in her personality and memory.

Either way, whatever comes out of it would not be Charlotte. At least not in full.

Still, the dragon frowns as he views the scene that's developed in front of him. The setting is one he's unfamiliar with, and appears to be taking place in a church of some kind. Not a grandiose one to be sure, so it must be a lesser church in a small town. It actually conveys something of a more genuine commitment to the faith, and perhaps the people who flock to it. Still, the fact that there's dead bodies everywhere is... well, that's nothing new. Isabella and Charlotte's memories are both bloody at times, although generally for different reasons.

What is new is the fact that one person is actually still alive in all this. Someone who looks markedly similar to Charlotte,albeit dressed like a nun. Since it's a memory, he can't scan her to get any reliable information on her genetics, but it doesn't appear to be the princess herself.

"...Eh? This one?" Isabella looks around, her face having lost its insane touch as she recalls precisely where this is... then lays eyes on the third blue haired girl. "Ahaha... oh yes, _this_ one. Charlotte, remember the rule where the royal family of Gallia can only have one successor to the throne?"

"...Yes." Charlotte's terseness returns for the moment since she has no idea what's coming.

"I ran into her once, not too long ago... What made me take a closer look at her is that she looked so much like _you_!" The Mad King's daughter explains cheerfully. "So much so, that I thought for a moment that you decided to abandon our game... So I decided to add an addendum. Nothing involving your mother, that stake already existed. No, just the lives of everyone around her."

The princess narrows her eyes as she guesses at what must have happened.

"The poor girl was really just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She had no idea what I was talking about, so I just had each and every person around her killed one at a time until it was her turn. Poor, poor Yolette... I hardly knew her." The Mad King's daughter smiles as the memory abruptly shifts to that same room, but with the third blue-haired girl dead and everything on fire. "Ah, I never did learn if you had a sister or not. Wouldn't that be funny if it turns out you had more family not too long ago?"

Charlotte's expression twists into one of sheer rage as tears start to flow. "You just can't stop... **You're just a rabid dog**!" A blizzard starts to blow around the princess, a freezing field that advances on the Mad King's daughter bit by bit even as the daughter prepares something of her own.

The Mad King's daughter fires her converted arms outward like steel spikes, ignoring the sudden sheet of ice developing on them in the hopes that her cousin will be unable to see it coming.

Then everything stopped.

The memory shatters into motes of light that flicker out, and both cousins are left staring at each other in shock as Aoi had interposed himself between them and blew away both their attacks in the same movement. Neither of them could perceive how he approached so quickly.

The daughter reverts her arms back into arms, and crosses them while huffing. "I was _this_ close to baiting her into making a mistake, you know!" She makes the appropriate pinching gesture with her hand while chiding the construct, her earlier insanity and murderous glee disappearing just as quickly as it had come. "It's fine if she loses. I want to be her anyway, so it's not like you'd be able to tell the difference once I'm done."

"I'd rather you get out of my mind." States the princess in a bitter tone as she looks around the dragon to glare daggers at her cousin. "Just give it up already. Aoi's mine anyway." She blushes as she declares that. "...Or I'm his."

She then grabs the construct's hand and looks him in the eye. " _Please_ , just get rid of her already. I don't care what happens to me, she doesn't deserve a second chance after everything she's done."

"You _know_ this is gonna hose you up big time, right?" Aoi scratches his head in worry with his free hand.

"I know, and I don't care. You'll be with me, and I won't forget what's important to me." States the ice mage with conviction.

"..." The daughter growls in annoyance in response. "So, you're just going to keep egging him on into getting rid of me for you, huh? Well, I guess I don't really care anymore. I don't necessarily _need_ you." She points to her cousin before shrugging. "So I'll just cut my losses while I still can."

"...You're willing to carve off what's left of your mind that you can say is yours?" Aoi raises an eyebrow at the declaration.

"I don't exactly need that part, nor want it anymore." Isabella makes a dismissive motion with her hand. "I'm going to start over, away from all of this."

"You're _not_ walking away from this." Hisses Charlotte as she stands to Aoi's side, then in front of him. "You screwed up _my_ happy ending because you couldn't stop!" She looks back to the construct. "Aoi, I'm _begging_ you, just put her down already! Are you really going to let her walk away from doing what she did to me?"

The dragon closes his eyes for a moment as he puts one hand on Charlotte's shoulder. "...No. I'm not." He fires a ray of light through Isabella's head, and causes her to flicker out of existence shortly thereafter. He turns the petite girl around and lifts her up slightly to properly hug her. "I'm sorry... this is going to be hell for you."

"It's fine..." States the princess as she returns the embrace. "She's... not really in my head anymore. It'll be fine if I'm here with you..."

=-=


	75. Frigid Memoir 1: The Last Hunt

=-=

The former princess of Gallia soars above the treetops atop her dragon, Sylpheed, attempting to track down her latest targets. Two mages, one predominantly dressed in white, another predominantly dressed in black. The former using wind techniques primarily, while the latter has no immediate combat power on his own so far as anyone's been able to see. They've effectively disrupted King Joseph's plans and detonated an entire wind node, which is still spewing out turbulent clouds of dust and debris. It hasn't spread out far enough to be a problem for the blue-haired girl. Not yet, anyway.

Tabitha finally spots her quarry fleeing through a less densely forested area. She directs Sylpheed over to them, but waits for the time being. As much as she'd like to just get this over with, the weaker of the two mages has a number of machines with them. Identified as some kind of golem, they have projectile-throwing weapons that far exceed bows or even crossbows in terms of accuracy, range, and power. Possibly more than enough to shoot down Sylpheed before she can even react.

She has to disable them first.

The machines move predictably, and the young ice mage targets their joints. While she's not sure how long it would hold for, she hopes that the sudden confusion will allow her to strike swiftly and finish this before it can even start.

Otherwise...

Tabitha shakes her head as she clears her mind of those thoughts. If she cannot afford to fail, then she will simply not fail. That's what her life has been up to now, and what her life will always be like.

She takes aim, then quietly lets loose her Diamond Dust spell on the unsuspecting group below.

To her shock, the mage in white defends the mage in black from the attack the second it gets too close. Neither of them look worse for wear for it, which causes the young mage to stare in shock for a brief moment. However, she regains her composure quickly and directs Sylpheed to dive down into the forest. The machines' joints have locked up from the ice coating them, which is exactly what she was hoping for.

Two more Ice Spears and she'd be done.

Granted, it wouldn't be that easy, but she can always wish.

She looks to her side and notes that something's already off.

The machines and one of her marks are simply... gone. Like they never existed in the first place. Most likely some form of concealment magic. She looks ahead again... and promptly feels her heart sink into her stomach as she briefly catches sight of a pair of brilliant blue eyes before she's thrown off Sylpheed's back. The force of the strike is enough to knock the Rhyme Dragon backwards ass over teakettle after that and land unceremoniously a few feet behind her master.

"Okay, seriously. How many more of you people are there?" The mage in white speaks in an annoyed and informal tone as he looks over his latest attackers. "...Can't be much more then, if he's sending kids after us now."

Tabitha picks herself up off the ground and readies her staff. Anything strong enough to toss around a dragon, even a young one, is not something she wants to confront directly. Rather than do so... "Ice wall!" ...she instead throws up a barrier and uses it for cover as she retreats back to Sypheed's side.

The dragon looks at her master apologetically, but the blue-haired girl doesn't care. Neither of them really knew what they were getting into this time. Tabitha hops back onto her familiar's back and gets a better grip on the saddle while keeping one hand on her staff. While her familiar can fight on her own reasonably effectively, she needs direction and more experience before she's more than a simple asset.

"Fire." Tabitha lets go of the saddle to point at the first bit of motion she sees, and chants under her breath to ready another spell. She watches her target keep just a little bit ahead of the flames and compensates for his movement. "Ice Spear!"

An unquestionably sharp shard of ice forms and shoots forward, its effectiveness uninhibited by the proximity of a Rhyme Dragon's fire. She doesn't so much as afford herself a smile when she sees the attack hit home and lodge itself in her target's shoulder. She could swear he saw the attack coming somehow, but either didn't react to it or couldn't react to it.

Sylpheed ceases breathing flames to catch her breath, and opts to use the opening provided by her master's spell to move in closer. She opens her mouth and attempts to bite down on her target, only for him to skip away from the attack entirely. She whines lightly to signal that she needs her target to be slowed down more before trying again with a headbutt.

Another casting of the Ice Spear spell and Tabitha manages to hit her target's leg this time. It should be frozen to the ground now... except the mage in white rips free without removing the ice spear at all. At this distance, she can see he's bleeding from both points of impact, but so far he's showing no signs of pain or slowing down. This immediately rules him out as being an ordinary human. ...A modified human like the Elemental Siblings, perhaps? But who would make something like that, and why?

"Wind blade!"

There's no time to consider the implications as Sylpheed narrowly evades a common yet useful wind-element spell. While the spell itself is nothing out of the ordinary, Tabitha starts slightly as she hears a tree come crashing down. She risks a glance behind her, and notes that yes, her target's spell did in fact chop down a rather thick tree in one go. Not exactly out of the realm of possibility, but the speed at which he cast it means it can't have been more than a Dot level spell.

Tabitha starts chanting again and trusts her familiar to deal with the bulk of the fighting for the moment. While she'd rather not engage enemies directly at all, Sylpheed being a Rhyme Dragon means that she's durable and capable of dealing with most lesser threats with nothing more than her own brute strength. Even though she's young, the dragon still hits harder than any bear.

Which is why she nearly loses concentration when her target catches Sylpheed's claw with his hand and unceremoniously flips her over, once again throwing Tabitha off her mount.

The young ice mage is sent tumbling away, and comes to a stop by rolling into a tree. Despite that, she fires off another Ice Spear at her target's gut.

To her mild happiness, the attack hit home.

To her slowly growing horror, it didn't stop him.

He simply pulls the offending chunk of ice out of him and tosses it aside, and the gaping hole in his torso starts to close up ever so slowly. "You're not even as strong as the last ones. What are you even doing, trying to take me on like this?" The mage in white starts to advance on the young mage...

At which points Slypheed manages to bite down on the man's torso. Mildly muffled cursing can be heard as the young dragon uses her fangs and claws to tear up her master's target before throwing him away. She then closes the distance between her and her master, carefully picks her up with her teeth, and gets her master partway onto her back. "Big sister, we have to run!"

Tabitha is surprised by the sudden outburst from her dragon. Normally she'd keep quiet, so as to conceal her nature, but for her to panic enough to speak... She looks to where her target landed, and fires off another Ice Spear at him. The attack hits home, and he doesn't move. "Why?" She asks, unsure of her familiar's reaction.

"That's not a human, big sister, that's a dragon!" Sylpheed takes flight as she speaks, acting against her master's will to put distance between herself and their target.

"We've hunted dragons before." Tabitha points out, hitting her familiar on the head with her scuffed-up staff.

"Ikuru... This dragon's not taking us seriously ikurukuu! He's not hurt at all!" The familiar's panicked tone is clear, and Tabitha finally looks down at where her fallen target lies. "Ikuruku bit and tore and clawed but nothing worked!"

Tabitha's eyebrows shoot up, and her eyes widen in surprise as she sees that her familiar isn't playing games. A dragon unlike anything she's ever seen before is rapidly closing in on them both, and it fires off beams of light from its mouth. Each one seems to go wide as it tries to predict where they'll go next, and the young mage chances a glance skyward to see said light punching holes through the cloud cover.

It blows past them and hovers above them both. "Are you two quite done?" It asks cordially.

Tabitha's breath hitches in her throat as she hears it, but focuses as she responds. "No."

The princess' willpower reserves are still sufficient to fight a while longer, but she already knows that unless she lands a lethal shot through the eye or into its brain somehow, her will will fail long before her target does. Then it'll be down to Sylpheed against an unknown species of dragon that's smart enough to speak a language she can understand. She hates those odds.

So it just means she'll have to land that shot.

"Hmph. Your tenacity is noted, little one." The dragon's voice booms as it hovers in mid-air. "Still, if you are searching for my other, you are too late. I have afforded him the time needed to retreat."

Tabitha feels as though her throat has gone dry. Her objectives are to capture or terminate _both_ of the mages who offended Joseph. If one's slipped away... "Doesn't matter." She states while trying to feel braver than she actually is. Maybe killing just one of them will buy her enough time to track down and finish off the other. If she doesn't, her mother's life is forfeit.

She directs Sylpheed to spit fire at the opposing dragon, who deftly dodges the move and retaliates with a few lazily-aimed blades of wind. The scatterbrained nature of the attack makes it hard to pin down a safe path through, though mercifully the Rhyme Dragon's own fire is enough to cancel the attack in places and create a safe path through. Sylpheed charges around in an attempt to get a better angle on her master's target, but every attempt she makes is rendered a moot point by the target's own movements.

However, she's quickly forced on the defensive the moment her target starts attacking in earnest. The opposing dragon is no slouch in the mobility department either, and is able to keep the Rhyme Dragon within eyesight to at least some extent. What doesn't help is that the target is able to crane its head and neck around to target Sylpheed with its laser breath, forcing her to shift and twist about almost wildly to evade it all.

In the end, she feels the need to abandon the air entirely for fear of her master losing consciousness. As determined as Tabitha is, even she has her limits, and the Rhyme Dragon fears that her master is quickly approaching those limits.

In spite of that, Tabitha manages to fire off at least one Ice Spear at the dragon, only for it to shift its body aside just enough to let it glance off its head instead of going through its eye like the sharpened chunk otherwise would have. However, normally that type of attack would have at least cut through the scales... "How?" Asks the young mage nervously.

Sylpheed manages to land properly, tuck her wings in, and charge forward into the denser forest to get some cover.

"How, you ask? Simple. I am simply that much more powerful than you." The target dragon's voice booms as it replies to the young mage. It smashes through the top of the thicker forest, sending branches crashing down around it as it gets its bearings. It begins to use its tail to smash trees aside for a moment before realizing that strictly speaking, it is at a disadvantage here. "Clever. Though if I had the intent to kill, it would not be hard to raze this forest, and you with it."

It spots a blast of flame approaching it, and brings its head around to retaliate, only to find a frigid spike that was fired from a different angle being driven through its eye and into its skull. The dragon roars in pain for a few moments before collapsing.

Sylpheed tentatively pokes her head out from behind a tree... ignoring the fact that one tree is nowhere near enough to hide the entire bulk of her body. She looks at the fallen dragon nervously, feeling as though her master didn't quite do it.

Tabitha steps out into the relative open and approaches the fallen dragon cautiously. While there's a chance that the target was only boasting and wasn't actually that durable, she needs to be able to confirm the kill. After all, when it was humanoid, it shrugged off grievous injury and _getting mauled by a dragon_. For all she knows, she only knocked it out with that strike and needs a good angle to cast again and be sure.

She stands no more than a few feet away from the fallen dragon and starts to chant, only for said dragon to rise and lunge at her the moment she got too close. She finds herself pinned under one of its paws, and its talons no more than a few inches away from her head. Sylpheed finds her progress in saving her master halted similarly. "Had that gone any deeper, that may very well have killed me. Still, I think it is about time I ended this debacle of a fight."

The dragon raises one of its talons... then brings it down well short of her head.

Tabitha simply can't understand. Why is it sparing her?

"So, the little doll failed after all." States an all-too familiar voice from seemingly nowhere. "Oh well, I guess we don't need her mother around either anymore."

"So she _was_ fighting against her will." Notes the dragon plainly. "A shame it took this much to draw you out. Perhaps I should kill you here?"

"Ha, as if I'm willing to simply pop right out where you can skewer me as you did that failure."

Tabitha blinks at that. She wasn't skewered at all. What is the Myoznitnim seeing?

The dragon is having none of it, however, and unleashes a torrent of laser fire from its body in all directions. "If you won't come out, then I will simply raze this forest until you have nowhere left to hide!"

Trees are smashed apart and vaporized under the heavy fire, and the voice speaks no more. Probably, as the dragon notes, because she's busy dodging.

"Don't think you'll get so lucky next time!" Screams the Mind of God, her voice that much easier to pin down.

The dragon takes its tail and aims the tip in the general direction of the voice, firing off one last blast. A startled yelp later and it seems clear that the Mind of God has decided that this is no longer worth her time.

The dragon releases both Sylpheed and Tabitha, and reverts back to a humanoid form.

"Okay, now that the pest is gone, what's this about your mother?" Asks the mage in white.

The young mage doesn't know what to think... but she is desperate enough to perhaps even ask someone who came just short of killing her for help.

She just hopes that this isn't a mistake.

=-=.


	76. Frigid Memoir 2: The Hero of Ivaldi

=-=

Tabitha isn't completely sure what came over her before. One moment she's staring death in the eye, the next she's struggling to explain why she's even fighting in the first place to the one who had her dead to rights. By all counts, this should have been a horrible knee-jerk reactionary plan born of desperation that ends horribly, but the mage in white defies her expectations completely by empathizing with her on the matter and opting to help her instead of leaving her to live her life knowing that her mother will die because she finally failed one of those insane missions that routinely forced her past her limits.

Having empathy directed at her is a concept she is familiar with to a fault, but it the way the mage insists on doing so without so much as a hint of ulterior motive makes it alien to her.

By all counts, she figures he'll betray her somewhere down the line. Unlike every other possible instance, she won't have the ability to do anything about it.

It's frustrating beyond all reason.

Especially since every time the mage in question exhibits his power, he seems to put himself even further beyond her normal fare. First it was simply defeating her like she was nothing, next it was putting out enough power to make even Sheffield flee rather than deal with her, and now? Now she's staring at Alhambra Castle from a distance after her former target used a spell to jump from some pointless wooded area to the outskirts of a former Gallian stronghold.

"So, your mother's in the highest room in the tallest tower, right?" Asks the mage in white.

"Yes." Was Tabitha's clipped response. "We'll follow."

"You sure you're up to this? There's a lot of people between us and the front door." As much as the ice mage would like to have something else to call the man, she isn't terribly interested in learning his name.

"We'll manage." Once again with the clipped response.

The ice mage starts as the mage in white grabs hold of her shoulder with a wry smile, and gets a hold of Sylpheed as well. The three of them gate out once again, and find themselves atop the tower Tabitha's mother is being held in. The petite mage has to blink once or twice before it dawns on her just how much her former target bypassed by getting them all here. In fact, between that and getting here long before any message could be conceivably sent, they could get in and out without alerting anyone!

"I wasn't gonna make you follow me through all of that." Her former target gives a dismissive wave of his hand as he proceeds to walk off the rooftop... then stroll down the side of the tower like it's nothing. Tabitha hops on Sylpheed and hovers down with him, although she stays clear of the window he's walking toward. "She'll look kinda like you and be holding a doll, right?"

Tabitha nods once.

The mage leans down to look through the window, his ponytail hanging down under him as he gets a good look. "Okay, I think I see her. Hope she doesn't freak too badly when I break in."

"You cannot be an ordinary mage if you were able to simply appear here." A new voice catches the attention of all three present, drawing their attention downward. An elf of slim stature and sure confidence is standing on the roof nearest the group, and his expression is one of annoyance and caution. "Please cease your attempts and leave. This does not concern you."

Tabitha narrows her eyes in response. "An elf."

Even Sylpheed is shuddering slightly as she tries to keep her voice to herself.

"Nah, I'm _completely_ ordinary. Mages teleport around all the time." States the mage in white with an amused smirk and crossed arms. "Still, I'm not gonna budge just because a prettyboy elf just walks up and asks me. You're not my type anyway."

"...How inane. Are you an escaped project of King Joseph's? If so, you should know better than to defy your master." States the elf as he calls upon the spirits surrounding him. Parts of the castle roof pull away and surround the elf, as something tells him the one before him is no human. The surge of Void energy that signaled his arrival would not normally be evidence to support that, but his presence is... strange. Artificial, even.

The mage in white promptly makes a gun gesture with his hands and takes aim at the rocks. "You're not gonna back down either, huh? Welp, I was hoping that we could just pretend that we never saw each other, but if this is how you're gonna be..." He shrugs, then fires blast after blast in rapid succession to shatter as many of the spirit-supported stones as possible. "Let's make this quick."

Furthermore, a soft, white gale surrounds the mage, though the elf can't fathom what its function must be.

Still, it's quite clear that this thing is not human, and cannot be approached as one. The elf sets the spirits of the earth on the mage, ignoring the doll and her dragon for now as she is strictly speaking a non-threat by comparison. His Counter magic is running at full strength, so it is not as though his opponent can truly hurt him. Case in point, a high-powered kick delivered by the 'mage' strains against the shield for a few seconds before throwing the aberrant individual backwards and into the tower wall, straining the structure and putting a rather large dent in it. "This battle is meaningless."

Still, it's somewhat disconcerting when one's opponent peels himself off the wall so easily. "I dunno. At this point, I just want to cause Joseph as much grief as possible." The aberrant one moves his head side to side to stretch, then decides to fire another ray of light at the elf. The rocks smashing themselves against him don't seem to be causing quite as much damage as the elf would like to see at this point, but the light bounces back and strikes the caster decisively.

A quick adjustment to the angle of reflection put the shot through the aberrant one's lung, and to the elf's relief it seems to be bleeding profusely. Perhaps this will be over soon. "There is no reason to do such a thing. You could have lived if you did not choose to interfere here."

The mage in white pokes at the new hole in his torso as the stones hang back. "Meh, it's not enough to worry about." The stones move in to crash against him again, but he flicks his wrist and the white gale turns black. The spirit-infused stones that aren't simply thrown away are instead ground into dust as they attempt to breach the barrier. "And as for you, I could say the same thing. Granted, I don't really feel like killing, but I guess we'll both do it if pushed."

The elf simply narrows his eyes in response as more stones peel away from the surrounding castle. This time they form into floating constructs that surround the elf in preparation to either attack or intercept an attack. "Countering the use of my chosen element merely leaves us at an impasse, aberrant one. By now the King's forces are aware of our altercation, and you will be ground down to nothing."

The mage simply appears in front of the elf suddenly, with his shooting down the earthen constructs as he gives the elf a disapproving once-over. "Cripes, can you even fight, or are you just a stone wall for people like me to knock down?" He adjusts his stance and strikes the elf's Counter barrier with his fist, though unlike last time he's not sent flying in retaliation. It's clear that he's straining, but he's also pushing in worryingly far. Before long, he's pushing the elf back barrier and all, tearing up the roof tiles as they go.

"The spirits fight at my behest, I need not do anything to you myself!" The elf snaps back while backpedaling in the face of such a blow. Still, he opts to make the roof under his attacker give way, denying him any solid footing and letting the Counter finish its work. Multiple stone spears form and fire forward at blinding speed as the elf converts more and more of the surrounding structure into an offense that would be considered overkill in any other instance.

The end result is the aberrant one being pinned to the wall by several half-aimed stone spikes... and once more he pulls himself free. The black wind rages harder and grinds away most of the spears, while the mage's voice shatters the rest. Black rings emanate from him, repelling every subsequent spike and sending them every which way as he vanishes once more. "THAT WAS MY EYE, YOU ASSHOLE!" Is the next thing the elf hears as the 'mage's' next strike puts so much force on his Counter shield that it sends them both crashing through the roof and into the castle proper, ending with the elf in a crater and his magic barely holding.

Sure enough, the aberrant one is missing an eye... and seems to be missing a not insubstantial part of his _head_. Similar wounds exist elsewhere on his body, though the elf spots the barest glints of an icy blue in the exposed parts of his insides. "What are you?! That should have been more than enough to end you!" At this point, panic begins to creep into the elf's voice as he watches the freshly-inflicted and normally _fatal_ wounds begin to close up. The elf shoots out from under his attacker while letting his first Counter spell collapse under the strain, sending the aberrant one plowing into the castle's upper floor and crashing into the floor below before he can correct himself.

Rather than let up, the elf has his spirits attack the 'mage' even then with countless spears and fists of stone from all angles. By all counts, it should have been enough, but even that proves insufficient as the elf finds his enemy fighting back with rays of light and blades of wind that seemingly slice the sky itself. The blind attacks from a floor below force the elf to form up another round of Counter, but at the rate this is going the elf may simply run out of stamina before his enemy does.

"Spirits, turn this castle into the fool's tomb!" The elf is running out of options, and commands his spirits to do the one thing that might actually work.

The entire floor of the castle collapses inward in an attempt to trap the enemy, and the attacks quickly cease.

He breathes for a moment to steady himself, only to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

A surge of Void energy before the earth stopped.

Another surge alerts him to the fact that his enemy is not yet done.

Countless spears of wind slam into his Counter, and in turn each one is flung away uselessly instead of being turned back on the caster like it's supposed to. "Man, you're making me work for this, aren't you? Gotta admit, you're giving me a _lot_ of trouble here." The 'mage's' tone carries a sort of aggravation and glee that suggests that he's enjoying the fight. Worse still, the inflicted damage is almost completely gone, with the new wounds merely being superficial.

"You... What... No, now you must be stopped! Any user of the Void cannot be allowed to roam free!" The elf's tone carries a mix of fear and conviction as he continues to command the spirits to attack the interloper in a desperate offensive. The castle continues to be torn down for this purpose, though the black wind surrounding his enemy is starting to catch more of the sharpened projectiles. Is he compensating for them now?

It doesn't help that whatever the barrier misses, the aberrant himself swats aside. "Okay, that's it." He holds his hand out and opens another gate.

The elf feels the surge of Void energy emanate from it even as a number of spirits scream right into it, unable to avoid the sudden opening or halt themselves in any way. While it is by no means the end of his arsenal, the elf suddenly feels much more conscious about commanding his spirits. "You monster... casting spirits into the Void?" Rage creeps into the normally calm elf's voice as he stares at this opponent. "You will never be forgiven!"

A pair of massive stone pillars attempt to crush the aberrant one, yet he nimbly evades them before they crash together. "Right, because clearly _you_ didn't start shit. Coulda just walked away, but you just had to start using your toys to try and kill me, and that's somehow _my_ fault." He fires off a few more rays of light at the elf in spite of it's Counter, but strikes the edges of the bubble so it cannot deflect them back in his face accurately. The longer this goes on for, the better the idea the aberrant one gets as to how to deal with the barrier.

The elf ceases speaking entirely as he watches a few of his enemy's attacks glance off his Counter. At the rate this is going, his enemy will likely compose an attack capable of punching through it soon. He commands the spirits directly now, orchestrating a set of commands to follow to better focus their attacks and minimize the number that can be lost to the Void. While they try to obey, his enemy is starting to swat them aside as if they were no more than mere gnats.

"Hey, Blake? I think I got some solid readouts on a defensive barrier, but I don't have anything I can use to just punch on through. Think you got a gun that can break this?" Asks the enemy to seemingly no one in particular. Does he have an unseen ally to call on after all?

["I hear you, Aoi. I have something, but you'll need to give me a clean shot."] Responds a voice from beyond the veil.

"I can give you about twenty." Replies this... Aoi person.

He snaps his fingers, and twenty surges of Void energy form around the open room. The elf pales at the very idea of staying around in a place like this, but chooses to have the spirits reform one last time into a form mighty enough to strike down even this stubborn fool. Formerly decorative castle forms up into a massive golem that brings down its fist on the aberrant one, only for him to once again vanish from the immediate area. The golem immediately reforms itself into something that can block the elf from view from every 'gate,' and just in time as exceedingly powerful explosions rock the construct.

Stone spears fire outward into every 'gate' in retaliation, forcing the enemy's attack to stop for now.

["I can't fire if I'm getting shot at like that!"] The aberrant one's ally shouts.

"I'm on it." While the elf can hear Aoi, he cannot see the monster.

His eyes widen and his pupils dilate in horror as he feels a surge of Void energy directly above him, and looks up to see his opponent holding a 'gate' at him with a wicked smile on his face. "You're cleared to fire!"

Less than a second later an explosion shatters the Elf's counter and renders him vulnerable once again. "This isn't the end!" He roars out as he flees from the immediate hail of fire being aimed at him. Explosions rock the room around him as the spirits attempt to shield him as best they can, with entire chunks of the construct moving to obstruct the aberrant one in a manner more befitting a liquid than a solid.

Still, Aoi is relentless in his own attacks. With the spirits forced to defend the elf, he's free to launch blast after blast at the retreating elf, some coming shockingly close to simply torching his enemy entirely as he moves about faster than the eye can track. It's only the elf's innate agility that lets him respond in time, and the spirit's frantic defense that lets him scrape by unscathed.

On a whim, the elf chances a look back to the tower.

He sees a young girl riding a Rhyme Dragon flying away, with an unconscious older woman with her.

The golem changes its focus to try and shoot down the dragon, rider and all. Once more, countless stone spears home in on their comparatively less capable target, which in turn forces Aoi to abandon his own attack and start shooting down the spears himself. The elf doesn't even care if any of the attacks land, his first priority is getting away from the damnable abomination so that he can formulate a way to attack it without getting countered so readily.

He doesn't even look back when he hears wind cleave stone, and both his construct and much of the castle lose both cohesion and structural integrity respectively.

Soon enough, he escapes into the earth itself, the spirits understandably assisting his escape in lieu of fighting such a worrisome opponent.

-

Aoi swings his arms like blades, each stroke sending another cutting blade of wind through the construct currently trying to kill Tabitha. Each strike carves the golem apart bit by bit, while his black wind deflects and shatters the spears that would have otherwise impaled the young mage.

The petite mage had seen just about everything, if not inadequately at times. It reminded her of one her favorite stories, 'The Hero of Ivaldi.' A classic tale of a scared hero doing the heroic thing in spite of his fear and slaying a dragon many times stronger than he to save his princess. It was something she always read in the vain, impossible hope that she too would be rescued, that she too would have a hero to call her own and be carried off bridal style into a happy ending.

However, the recent turn of events leave her confused.

The mage in white appears to be no hero. If anything, he's the dragon of the story, and everyone else is the valiant knight trying to stop him. It could be read the other way too, but the mage never showed fear or even the slightest hint of wavering in his determination. It's... almost funny how no one has a clearly comparable role in all this.

The dragon sighs as he aims his palm a the remaining chunk of construct, and blasts it to dust with his light. The construct ceases to respond after that. "Stubborn bunch of bastards, I'll give them that. You okay back there?" He turns his head to look at the two women and the dragon.

Tabitha can merely nod.

Sylpheed almost looks like she doesn't know what to say.

"Alright, I think that's enough excitement for one day. I don't think you have anywhere else to go, so do you want to come meet our merry band of misfits?" Asks the dragon.

"W... what...?" It was one thing to spare her, another to help her. The petite mage can't even properly answer when given that kind of offer. "You're..."

"Offering you a place to stay. We've got room, and probably even have someone to help with your mother's insanity. You wouldn't have to get sent to your death on someone else's whim anymore." Continues the mage, his tone cautiously neutral as he makes his offer.

Tabitha feels her eyes water as she continues to reel from the offer being made here. "Why...?" She barely asks as a tear rolls down her cheek.

The dragon offers up a warm smile. "Because, as you're going to find out, I'm the type of idiot who can't leave someone in trouble alone."

The petite mage closes her eyes and nods in agreement while trying to fight back tears. She doesn't even fully understand why she's shedding them like this.

"Alright, let's go then!" The dragon seems somewhat chipper at the prospect as he gates the four of them out, and away from the Mad King's problems.

Once more, the young mage prays in her heart that she's not making a mistake for the second time in one day.

=-=


	77. Glacial Memoir 1: Realization

=-=

Isabella could not be having much worse of a day, all considering.

At first she was ecstatic that her cousin finally failed to accomplish her goals and would soon be forced to bear the burden of allowing her mother to die. That part was fine.

What _wasn't_ fine was the fact that the report didn't end there.

By all counts this should have been nothing more than her father, Sheffield, or herself giving the order to execute Ophelia and leaving it at that. Then she could just watch Charlotte break down completely and utterly as she loses the very last thing that gives her that asinine strength to continue. That... love of hers, that spurs her to overcome all odds by any means necessary. Then?

Then she can end Charlotte. Or maybe make her continue anyway. ...On second thought, that's a bad idea. That'd last all of one mission before her cousin would just die unceremoniously out in the wilderness where the Mad King's daughter can't even see her face, and that's no fun.

The daughter leans back on her bed and wonders precisely what she could even **do** with a broken Charlotte anyway. She's not into her in the slightest, and a broken person has no will to win.

"Feh, a broken doll is no good at all. Even disposing of her wouldn't be fun." Says the young woman under her breath. Thankfully, the person giving the report neither acknowledges nor responds to that, keeping her from directing her sadistic tendencies at the messenger for the moment.

Either way, the princess' eye twitches when she hears of the attack on Alhambra castle.

Not only was Charlotte there trying to rescue her mother directly, even if that is an amusingly futile effort in and of itself, but somehow she recruited help. That too is no big deal on its own... But this newcomer, a relatively unknown entity who had just gotten through snubbing her father and detonating a Wind Stone node that his brother had uncovered mere days earlier, who has somehow evaded and fought back against even her hired Elemental Siblings who are in turn otherwise _unmatched_...

The man fought an elf.

Not only did he fight an elf, he _won_ that fight. He came quite close to ending her father's hoity-toity pet, and successfully rescued Ophelia de Gallia.

On the one hand, rescuing the mother is worthless. Bidashal is the only elf on hand who could undo the distinctly _elven_ poison used to drive Ophelia insane to begin with. All the others would most likely refuse to help some 'lowly' human, and the princess is fine with that. What she is not fine with is that her favorite toy has just slipped out from under her, Sheffield, and her father in one fell swoop. Or rather, was plucked out of the reach of the Gallian royal family by this odd newcomer.

...The servant is done regaling the report.

"Very well. Be a dear and fetch the Elemental Siblings for me, would you?" Asks the princess sweetly, though she wasn't truly feeling it. "And I want an accurate depiction of the man who plucked dear Charlotte away from me."

"Yes, mistress." The servant turns and leaves. As much as the princess would like to blow off some steam by engaging in a 'game' with said servant, it wouldn't really accomplish anything.

Isabella flops backward on her bed and taps her finger on the covers. There's no telling where Charlotte is now, let alone where her new friend is. Searching for them will be a pain, but it must be done. She's shaken from her thoughts by the sound of the voice of one of her genuinely hired hands.

"You called, boss?" It's the artifact user, Damien. The princess sits upright and adjusts her posture to be slightly less casual.

"Yes, I have. You see, we seem to have something of a dragon problem and dear Charlotte didn't solve it at all..." She puts her hand to her mouth as if discussing something scandalous. "In fact, she made it worse by befriending it instead of hunting it like she was supposed to."

"So, you want us to take out Charlotte's mother, Charlotte herself, or finish the job she was supposed to do?" The artifact user makes a point of asking the question as clearly as possible so as to remove any ambiguity. Better to keep things on track and not allow his words to be interpreted differently than they should be.

"Capture, ideally. I know you'll want a chance to redeem yourselves against that pesky dragon, but do bring him in intact. The other two... deal with them as you see fit, but I want the final say in what happens to them." Isabella places both hands on the bed and stretches after that. "Of course, I will increase your pay for bringing the dragon in. It's no small feat to defeat someone who can fight on even terms with an elf."

As much as she'd like to make _this_ into a game as well, the Siblings are not exclusively hers to command either. Not to mention strong enough to fight back should she get too out of control.

"Understood. We'll be back with everything tied up with a bow." States Damien before turning to leave. He then remembers something, and moves to hand Isabella a sketch. "Oh right, there's this too." Then he leaves at a slightly quicker pace than one might consider polite.

The princess looks over the sketch, noting that it is indeed that of the man Charlotte was supposed to be hunting down. He's not exactly hard on the eyes either, from what this depiction could manage to capture. In fact... She sets the picture aside and thinks a bit, then smiles. "Ah, well, I suppose if my favorite toy has acquired a new friend, I should take that away from her next chance I get..." She looks at the sketch again with an odd glint in her eyes. "Hopefully you won't be _too_ hard to pry away from her, A... Ao... ow? Owie?"

The princess furrows her brow as she looks at the provided name. She lays back on her bed and taps her cheek in annoyance. "Stupid foreigner names. Why couldn't it be something more dashing? Or easier to pronounce."

=-=


	78. Total Party Wipe

=-=

Bidashal looks over his assembled peers, potent infiltrators who can slip in undetected, achieve their goal, and slip out with no more than a whisper on the wind on a bad day. Each one could easily rival in him martial combat, potentially produce Counter magic like his own if pressed, and bring down a thousand enemy human combatants _each_ before succumbing to injury. Between himself and his support, a mere absconding of one of the two remaining Void mages located here should be laughably easy, despite its seriousness.

Even the plan is relatively simple. Try to get as close as possible before launching into an all-out assault to overwhelm the defenders before they can even comprehend what's happening, and leave before they can muster a stronger resistance or form a suitable pursuit team. Were this any simple human town or city, the liaison would be supremely confident in the matter, if not outright bored.

The obvious problem is that the two Void familiars are far and beyond what they're used to dealing with.

The ambassador leads his team into the surf, with every intention of walking under the water's depths to evade detection. The use of spirits makes this idea workable, if not somewhat impractical.

The recent overuse of the flesh of one of the two... Aoi, the wind-user, has made it painfully clear that the servant has only grown stronger since the last time they fought. While he was unable to defeat Bidashal completely before, he had come frighteningly close once he gained the assistance of what the elf can only assume is the construct's brother. Said brother having claimed the lives of two of Bidashal's kin later on, by himself.

The ambassador can't help but shudder as he strides along the eerily-lit seafloor. His kind dying in combat is nothing new, per-say. The magic of his kind is powerful, but it's not always infallible and there are other firstborn races who can at least give them a run for their money. The problem is, these two are not natural entities. Based on the elf's own experiences and the scant few pieces he could glean here and there, their composition is distinctly unnatural and it is clear that someone created them.

In truth, one could argue that there are two objectives to be accomplished here.

The first is the obvious one: Secure a Void mage and keep the Void from being made whole.

The second: Try to find anything on who made the two constructs who are dangerously close to providing the Romalian Church the power needed to push things past the tipping point and necessitate all-out war, perhaps even the extermination of humanity. While some of his peers would desire that, most, including himself, still adhere to the wishes of Saint Anubis in allowing the humans to live out their lives in peace.

"We're close." States one of his fellows. "Assume that we will be fired upon the second we come into sight."

Each of the others prepares something subtle to help even the odds. Not one elf present is going to go down without dragging every last attacker down with them.

Soon enough they'll breach the surface of the water surrounding the target island, and will need to move swiftly if they want to have any hope of accomplishing their goals.

-

Ophelia is working in one of the numerous flower gardens alongside Shajal in an attempt to calm herself down. While the news of her brother-in-law's incarceration is good, the news that her daughter may have been lost in the process has certainly taken its toll on her. She starts when she feels the motherly elf's hand on her shoulder. "You're shaking." The elf smiles in an attempt to project her confidence in the matter before speaking again. "She _will_ be fine. Aoi may be a fool at times, but there is little he cannot accomplish."

"I know..." States the would-be queen with a nervous sigh. "I still can't fathom why Isabella would go to those lengths. I know she was never the happiest little girl, but..."

"Perhaps Charlotte may be able to explain, if you are inclined to ask her." Offers the motherly elf as she trims a couple of dead branches off a flowering bush. While the automatons would normally handle this kind of thing, Blake specifically gave Shajal priority since it's something she actively requested she be given the opportunity to do if she ever gets the urge.

"Only if she wishes to. I don't want to cause her any more suffering than she has already endured." Ophelia trims off a couple excess flowers from another bush and saves them for later.

"I think she may wish to confide in you anyway. You _are_ her mother, after all." Notes Shajal with a small smile.

"Indeed. We'll need to sort out Gallia's next ruler as well, though I think the duty will fall to me in the end." The widow opts to sit down on a nearby bench instead and looks over a few documents she's been carrying with her lately. With Isabella effectively dead, and Joseph's right to rule revoked with extreme prejudice, as well as her own husband being dead... Well... "...No, I have no right to ask Yolette to rule in either of our places."

"Oh? You have another daughter?" Asks the motherly elf with a hint of interest. She's keeping one ear open as she goes around, trimming the bushes neatly.

"I did, but due to our land's 'Two Wands, One Crown' creed, I had to either give her up or have her killed." The widow looks downcast as she confides in her peer. "My late husband's equally late father insisted on the latter, but I could not go through with it."

"...That is _immeasurably_ cruel. What in the world would drive your kingdom to adopt such a creed?" Shajal turn to look at the widow with a small frown as she asks the question.

"Succession crises. Situations like my husband and Joseph are... something of a norm within our royal family. Although this is one of the rare times the successful sibling ends the unsuccessful one. That aside, our creed is to eliminate the possibility of that kind of tragedy happening in the first place." Ophelia looks distinctly uncomfortable with the topic, yet continues anyway. "Any time we show weakness and attempt to refuse it, tragedy strikes without fail."

She clenches her hands as she continues, and shakes slightly. Clearly the memory is still painful for her. "I tried to avert it my own way by giving Yolette to a small church to be raised as an orphan, but... I paid a different price for that act. She grew up not knowing I was her mother, and in turn she did not love me, nor did she wish to know me as such. To her, I was simply the woman who abandoned her... and she is right to hate me for it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what that must be like." The motherly elf stops working on her plants and opts to sit next to her peer, and puts an arm around her for comfort. "Still, perhaps it might be time to try again. Not for the sake of political maneuvering, but..."

The widow shakes her head. "No, I fully intend to respect the wishes of the daughter I gave away. It's... painful, yes, especially in light of recent events, but I burnt that bridge down without meaning to ages ago. Charlotte is the only daughter I have left, and I cannot bear to lose her as well." She looks to the elf. "I do not mean to offend, but she is the only family I have left."

Shajal smiles sadly and nods knowingly. "I understand. I am much the same way, in the end. Though I admit that fortune smiled on me a little more than that."

Ophelia wipes a tear from her eye and flicks it away. "And I am glad in turn that your daughters have been supporting mine as they have. It's... wonderful seeing my dear Charlotte slowly stop being a doll and start being herself again. It broke my heart to see her so quiet and uncomfortable when you helped me regain my sanity."

Just then, the two are interrupted by the appearance of a few clockwork mecha and Joan. "I hate to interrupt, but your..." She looks to Shajal. "...less than understanding brethren have just come knocking. We need to get you two where you'll be out of the line of fire. Especially you, since all of us know they'll be wanting to take a potshot at you if they see you." She points at the motherly elf to emphasize.

"I understand. Are Tiffania and Louise accounted for?" Asks the elf sadly.

"Gatekeeper's got them covered. No need to worry." She promptly pulls both women up with ease. "Now let's _go_ already. The first line is slowing them down, but that's all it's going to be able to accomplish."

The huntress then gates the three of them out of the immediate area.

-

The Gatekeeper looks upon the battlefield impassively... albeit from the relative safety of a bunker. It's already assembled everything it can throw at the ten-man attacking team, but lo and behold elvenkind is a cut above what the brothers have had to deal with in the past. Clockwork soldiers who could withstand a few spells themselves are being smashed aside like flies, with the more defensive units are simply being undermined. Sniper units can't make the needed shots due to the elves shielding each other, and the close range units would merely get shredded just getting into range.

Nothing short of heavy artillery will be enough to simply render the attackers vulnerable.

Which is why it's purposely called in Louise and Tiffania both.

[THE STRATEGY IS SIMPLE. PRIME YOUR RESPECTIVE VOID SPELLS, AND ONCE THEY ARE NEAR COMPLETION I WILL OPEN A GATE TO ALLOW YOU TO CAST THEM ON THE TARGETS.] States the mecha clearly. [I UNDERSTAND THAT NON-LETHAL METHODS WOULD BE PREFERRED BY THE TWO OF YOU, BUT IT IS PURELY AT YOUR DISCRETION.]

"I understand, Mr. Ezekiel." Tiffania puts on something akin to a game face, but in reality is simply too adorable to pull it off particularly well.

"Hopefully that idiot partner of mine will see this." Louise grumbles as she pulls out her wand.

[USER AOI IS STILL EFFECTIVELY INCAPACITATED, BUT I FULLY SUPPORT YOUR INITIATIVE TO DEFINE THE TERMS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP.] Gatekeeper actually seems mildly amused by the subject at hand, even as it directs more units into the raiding party to slow it down as far as the machines can. [10% OF BASE SITE ALPHA'S DEFENDERS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE CASTING.]

Granted, the Gatekeeper knows full well that at this rate, the number of defenders will be more or less irrelevant. It's more about directing the enemy away from any facility or bunker that currently houses civilians, worker-class machines, or other non-combatants. As much as the machine would like to think that the enemy would show mercy, it is far more likely to it that the enemy would instead choose to just kill off anything or anyone that they do not need.

The mecha chuckles in response to its own little bit of dark humor. For all of the elfish talk of superiority and mercy, at times they are in fact no better than humanity when it comes to barbaric actions. Perhaps worse, depending on how one looks at certain events.

[UNIT 'MAXWELL' WILL BE DEPLOYED IN 3... 2... 1...]

-

So far, the enemy has put up no amount of effort that's actually capable of doing more than slowing Bidashal's group down.

No matter what kind of machine is thrown in front of them, either he or his fellows dismantle it in seconds at most. Aerial units are shot down with ease, ground units are crushed and buried. However, so far there is no sign of their targets and the longer they remain here, the more likely it is that the Void Familiars will join the fray, and the lower the mission's chances of success will become once they do.

What makes it worse is that the enemy seems to be following no standard set of logic to its tactics beyond seemingly dumping larger concentrations of units in their way when they get too close to a given structure. Infuriatingly, these structures never seem to hold anything of actual value. It's gotten to the point where a couple elves have to converse with the spirits of the earth to get anything resembling actual intel on the surrounding area.

Surprisingly, few of the local spirits are willing to part with any information. Or perhaps _un_ surprisingly, given how the traitor may be keeping in contact with as many as possible to ask them to deny her own kind needed information and stall their efforts longer.

"Something's coming!" Shouts one of his peers.

One of the bunkers opens up, and out rises a strange cube that sits on its point. It seems to be covered in a strange metal lattice that shifts about as it rises into the air.

In addition, a number of smaller weapon platforms reminiscent of tank turrets rise out of the ground from a distance, and take aim at the elven raiding party.

The ten split up just as the ground beneath them erupts from explosions, and the ambassador can tell that these are the same types of explosions that made such short work of his Counter magic. On top of that, the strange metallic cube starts to pull away its lattice, revealing a remarkably plain cube underneath with an obvious crystalline power supply held in the middle. However, this supposed weakness is quickly covered up by the metal lattice reforming into a dish in front of the side facing the party. The warm and humid tropical air instantly turns to a cold fog in front of it before the dish glows a frigid arctic blue.

Bidashal chooses to stand his ground and brace for the attack, though he can't tell how the others are doing.

The dish fires out a freezing beam that causes both the ground and water it strikes to erupt into frozen spikes, while the air within the mere _vicinity_ of the attack is turned into an inpenetrable fog. While Counter has done enough to block the attack, it's clear that the machine itself is not particularly bothered by the bits of beam reflected back at it, despite it now being coated in ice itself.

Still, a few moments later and most of the turrets are either destroyed in some form, or simply frozen from the latest machine's powerful attack. The fog and ice makes it hard to see and maneuver to a point, but rather than remain in it the ambassador chooses to get outside of it so that he can at least see the enemy. Just in time too, as the machine has reconfigured its lattice into a focused cone held in front of the core. Its next attack is a fiery laser that causes the earth and water to explode on contact due to the sheer difference in temperature, and scorches the fog away only to replace it with an even denser and wider-spread cover from the previous ice.

The liaison has little doubt in his mind that Counter may have simply failed from trying to block such a focused attack in spite of it clearly being magical in nature.

Mercifully, a massive, molten fist slams into the construct and sends it spinning out of control away from its bunker. It slams into another building and is promptly embedded into it by the same semi-molten golem. The metal of the bunker is then used to cage the construct and keep it from moving or attacking again. The usual small fry are still making their best attempts, but to no avail.

"Still no sign of the targets." States one of the other elves.

"Start tearing up buildings until we find them! We're running out of time!" Shouts another.

That's when Bidashal feels an all too familiar surge of Void energy. However, the fog has yet to dissipate and there's no telling what came in or where.

Then a cry cut short emanates somewhere from within the fog. The liaison and a few others call upon the spirits of the wind to blow the fog away and deny their assailant cover.

The form is wrong, and perhaps feels a bit weak, but the aberrant wind is standing above the bisected body of one of the raiders. He... or perhaps she? She appears to have gotten the drop on her target and ended it before it could begin. Still, the retaliation is swift and brutal with the very air and earth being turned into deadly weapons of all kinds and sizes to try and overwhelm this new attacker as swiftly as possible before she can do any more damage.

However, rather than power through it, she retreats through another gate. Some of the assault follows her, but not nearly enough for the liaison's liking.

Bidashal grits his teeth and splits from his party more to try and tear open as many strongholds as possible to try and locate their targets before everything goes to hell proper.

While the next bunker doesn't offer up the Void mages, it does offer up a strange and massive crystal formation that feels all too familiar to the ambassador...

He turns the roof into a series of metal spikes, surrounds the crystal with them, and prepares to impale the abomination while it still slumbers.

-

The Gatekeeper curses as it realizes which holding Bidashal has just broken into. With Aoi disabled and Joan running at a mere fraction of the total construct's strength, there's simply no way that he can save himself this time. It halts for a second, then resumes silently while also erecting a shield around the two Void mages, all while hoping that they won't be attacked before it can get back to them.

-

Joan grits her teeth and jumps right in at Bidashal, who in turn barely recognizes her efforts as the elf desperately crashes the spikes against the crystal below. While the attack does some damage, it's nowhere near enough to simply destroy the structure. The spikes retract and slam in again, digging a little deeper each time.

The huntress desperately fires her revolver at the liaison, and each bullet seems to damage the Counter barrier a little more. It's enough to grab the elf's attention, but not enough to cancel the attack. "Do you not remember what I said before? I do not need to do anything to you myself. The spirits fight and act on their own." He says in an almost bored tone as he takes a few of the metal spikes and aims them at the huntress before firing them faster than the eye can track.

To her credit, the Gandalfr deflects several and shoots down the rest with surprising ease. "But if I kill you, you can't tell them to do anything else!" She all but vanishes from the spot as she evades the spikes that have been launched at her once more. It seems as though nothing short of the complete destruction of the matter being used will be enough to stop the attack, and as much as she hates to admit it, she doesn't have the firepower to actually **do** that.

The most she can do is keep chipping at the shield until it breaks, then end it in one fell swoop.

Still, neither she nor Bidashal can miss the sudden surge of Void energy appearing in the room below. However, unlike the other instances, this is less like someone opening a gate to the Void, and more like the Void itself reaching out into the world. Such a thing chills the ambassador to the core and causes him to lose focus for a few moments. Were it not for the fact that the spirits more or less fight of their own accord once asked, he would have left himself open to attack.

He risks peering down into the bunker again, and notes that he can no longer feel the spirits attacking the aberrant wind. In fact, the total level of spirit activity in the immediate area appears to have dropped to zero, as if they had simply been erased. He continues to ignore the lesser aberration attacking him as he looks for any sign of what caused it, and finds the source staring back at him mere moments later.

It opens its mouth as if to talk, but no sound comes out. It moves its arms and hands to gesture as well, but somehow no motion occurs. Its very existence feels wrong and the very world seems to inch away from it on reflex.

Then Bidashal finds himself without his Counter magic, without once understanding what happened or how it happened.

He backs up reflexively when he spots that the abomination has simply appeared before him and pushed through the space where the Counter once was, though the very act causes the thing to flicker briefly and fade somewhat. It reaches out to touch the elf, but he's already vacated the immediate area around it. His eyes are wide with shock and fear at how something like this could _possibly_ exist.

However, this is where his train of thought ends, as the huntress he ignored before has just placed a small, pointed bit of metal squarely in the middle of his grey matter from behind.

He doesn't even see the impaled and hurt huntress collapse to the ground, one of her cores having been impaled and destroyed from having to fight off the spirit-infused weapons.

-

Louise's concentration is broken when she realizes that Joan has been injured, though mercifully the Gatekeeper seems to be on the ball as a gate forms in front of the pinkette.

Her worry fear turns into a raging fury unlike anything she has ever known in the past as she sticks her wand arm through the portal and yells out just one word. "Dispel!"

-

A single rainbow droplet falls out of the gate's other end and falls to the ground. It stays there for just a second before expanding at an insane rate, covering a large part of the island before finally dissipating. Every last attacker, machine and elf, suddenly find themselves devoid of their primary power source and primary means of attacking, respectively. Each and every attacker is simply sniped before they can recover or even comprehend what just happened. Some are shot dead, though a few are simply incapacitated. Whether this is an intentional act or just dumb luck due to the Hourhands being unable to get a clear, lethal shot on some of the invaders is up for debate.

Thus ends the fight, and begins an ugly mess that will take some time to properly clean up.

=-=


	79. Redefining the Terms of Employment

=-=

Aoi emerges from his crystalline barricade and gradually reverts it back into body mass, attire, and other somewhat unnecessary things that are none the less nice to have. Overall, Bidashal's desperate attacks hadn't come anywhere near close to actually connecting with any of the cores not out and active despite the progress the spirit-infused metal spikes were making. "Well, this isn't exactly something pleasant to wake back up to." He grouses as he saves out enough magimatter for other purposes and forms it into a semi-pliant ball. The presence of the Void elemental catches his attention. "...Cripes, should you even be out right now? You look worse than usual."

Zeke merely shrugs in response before using sign language to get his point across.

The dragon cringes in response. "Dammit... Thanks. To think I actually lost a sub-core to that guy... Well, all he got was a little redundancy, but Joan took his life, right?"

The only reply he gets is in the form of more sign language. To the casual Halkeginian observer, this conversation would seem a touch one-sided.

"I get it." Notes the dragon before looking a bit uncomfortable at the next bit of signing. "...I've been feeling it from her lately, I know I need to talk to Louise soon."

Ezekiel nods, then fades from view.

The dragon takes the ball of magimatter and hops up out of the semi-wrecked bunker and immediately curses under his breath. Ten elves had done in mere minutes what it would have taken an army to do over the course of days. Entire parts of the island are torn up, scorched, sand-blasted, and frozen, and much of the picturesque beauty has been simply annihilated. He steps forward toward the downed huntress, and stops beside her.

"...Still kicking, but definitely down a core." Aoi puts a hand to Joan's head to get a decent read on her status. "Alright, get back in here, you two. I gotta figure out what to do with the wrecked one."

The huntress' body melts and forms up around the dragon, leaving behind only a single crystalline spheroid with a metal stake driven through it. A dull silver fluid leaks out of the point of penetration, and the entire thing feels as dead as it looks to the construct. He yanks the offending stake out, and drives it into the ground for good measure just in case there's some lingering spirit magic left in the thing. The impaled core does not lose much more fluid from this, however.

"What a thing to wake up to..." Aoi growls as he gates himself to another, hopefully more secure location.

-

It hadn't taken long for the dragon to finish setting everything up. As much as there might have been some advantages to just converting Charlotte into another construct like himself or Blake, the fact of the matter is that he feels he owes the young woman at least one shot at reconstructing her body properly. As a result, he's set the magimatter sphere on a stand and given it a specific set of instructions along with the required DNA mapping to recreate Charlotte's body as accurately as possible.

Should this attempt to revert her back to a human form fail, then the option of converting her to a construct form will be taken.

Ikuruku didn't take long to join the dragon either, and this has more or less caused Aoi to have to furnish the space at least somewhat to accommodate the familiar. Neither of them felt particularly chatty, and though she wishes her big brother could have stayed with her for the time being, she knows that it's important for him to ensure that something like the recent elven attack cannot happen again so easily.

-

"I see things have already been resolved." Blake states while unconsciously breathing black flame with each breath.

Eleanor grabs the construct's hand to get his attention, and he seems to at least calm down to just breathing a heat shimmer instead upon realizing her proximity.

"Yeah, I lost a core in the process and those ten elves tore up a lot of island three in the process. I've already got the machines cutting Maxwell free and surveying the damage to figure out what we're supposed to do about all this." Aoi taps the table's surface in an annoyed manner before slamming a fist down instead. "Dammit, this is the _last_ thing we need right now! We've got our hands full just trying to fix everything Joseph broke, and we're still trying to deal with the wind stones!"

"We can at least ensure that this can't happen twice. You can make machines capable of patrolling the water, can you not?" Asks the eldest daughter calmly.

Blake starts to answer, but his brother cuts him off. "Machines are still susceptible to corrosion due to salt water. I'll work better if I just make magimatter drones to do that job. Won't take long either, but..."

"We're getting stretched to the breaking point here. We cannot deal with the elves on top of everything else without heavy losses." Blake speaks when his brother tapers off. As much as he might want to console his brother on the matter, he cannot afford to take much more time than he is at the moment. "And we need to get back to Vittorio as well to deal with him, and I still need to track down the Founder's Incense before Romalia can get it, assuming they haven't taken it already."

[MY APOLOGIES THAT I CANNOT ASSIST YOU TWO MORE THAN I ALREADY AM.] The Gatekeeper's voice can be heard from a small gate opened up nearby the three. [HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACTUAL CASUALTIES BEYOND ONE SUB-CORE AND A PORTION OF OUR DEFENSES.]

"We both know your limitations, Gatekeeper, and I cannot ask you to exceed them in good conscience." The serpent states as he squeezes his lover's hand lightly.

[HOWEVER, YOU TWO MUST SPEAK WITH YOUR PARTNERS SOON. LOUISE IN PARTICULAR IS GETTING QUITE IRATE WITH YOU, USER AOI.] While its tone is neutral, one can still pick up some sense of urgency on the matter.

"I know, I'm gonna talk to her next. Things kinda got awkward recently and the only reason I didn't jump right on it is because Charlotte needed the help more." The dragon's posture changes and he slumps forward. "I'll need to let the others know that we may need to have 'em shift bases for a bit until we get this security issue under control. Last thing we need or for Henrietta or someone to get wasted because the elves launched an offensive at us at the wrong time."

Eleanor raises an eyebrow at that. "My youngest sister one of the four Void mages, the crown princess of Gallia, and the current holder of Tristain's throne? You have some rather grand ambitions."

"Huh?" The construct shifts a bit to look at the eldest daughter. "What are you going on about?"

"Is he always this clueless?" The eldest daughter directs the question to the serpent, who merely shakes his head.

"Aoi, remember what we were talking about a while back? About attracting the attention of multiple grateful women?" The serpent attempts to broach the subject carefully.

"Yeah, but it's not like anything really came of it. I mean, you just hooked up with Eleanor and she's not even... well, wasn't one of your admirers, anyway." Notes the dragon simply.

"And in addition, you remember telling me that perhaps I was feeling love for Eleanor in spite of not having the required biological aspects to do so?" Blake gestures with his free hand, his breath having since reverted back to a temperature that could conceivably come from a human.

"...You're saying I could be feeling the same for all three of 'em?" The dragon's tone is puzzled, to say the least. "I guess. I mean, I missed how Charlotte has a... _thing_ for me." Aoi's cheeks flush slightly at the mere recollection of those shared thoughts.

It takes him a few more moments before his eyes snap wide open and his forehead hits the table. "Did I turn into some crappy harem anime protagonist somewhere along the line? If so, kill me."

The eldest daughter turns to look at the serpent with an expression that seems to border between incredulous and confused.

"He's referring to a type of story that exists on Earth, or to be more precise a character of such a story." Blake explains concisely. "I'd go into more detail, but we'd be here for an hour or two."

"Alright, but I am curious about what kind of story that is, precisely." While not satisfied with that explanation in the slightest, the eldest daughter chooses to let it drop for now.

"If your tastes in stories are anything like ours, my reaction to this will make perfect sense once you understand it." Quips the dragon as he gets up. "Still, cripes, what a mess... I've got Charlotte's body constructing as we speak, she'll be done within a day, tops. Beyond that, I have no timetables or anything."

"Understandable." Blake then looks to the portal the Gatekeeper is speaking out of. "I'll talk with Tiffania as soon as possible, but I have no idea how long it will take to deal with Vittorio."

[UNDERSTOOD. AS FAR AS THE FOUNDER'S INCENSE GOES, I HAVE A FEW ASSAULTERS SEARCHING FOR IT AS WE SPEAK. WITH ANY LUCK, WE WILL OBTAIN IT BEFORE THE POPE CAN.]

The eldest daughter simply sighs in response to that. "...Honestly, as much as I would normally vouch for the faith, I have to admit that I've picked up some of your distrust for the Pope." She does look ashamed of herself to actually admit it. "I can't imagine how Joseph is supposed to atone for his actions." The eldest daughter crosses her arms, though the end result is that Blake's arm ends up pressed against her chest. "Not unless the Pope wants to learn how to do what that madman did."

Aoi's presence briefly turns oppressive as the idea is brought up. "If that's it, then I'm tearing every last scrap of research they have on the matter apart **personally**."

"Aoi." Blake's tone turns commanding for at least a few moments. "You have enough on your plate already. Start with what you can do, and leave the Romalian side of affairs to us. As much as I can't believe I'm saying this, you're going to run yourself straight into the ground at this rate." Lacking the ability to cross his own arms himself, the serpent puts his free hand on his hip. "Granted, you'd bore right through the earth and out the other side if left to your own devices, but it's nothing to aspire to."

"I know..." The dragon scoots his chair back and gets up before putting it back in its place.

Eleanor allows Blake to go free for a little while so that the serpent can sort out his brother. The serpent puts a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You haven't been at your best since we dealt with Joseph, and it's blindingly obvious. I wouldn't be surprised if part of Louise's own aggravation stems from what she can feel coming from you, assuming the connection works that way."

"And that goes for your other active sub-cores as well. You're actively dividing yourself up to try and contend with multiple issues simultaneously and denying yourself your greatest strengths in the process, and judging from the look on your face, I'd have to assume you've already paid a price for it."

The dragon simply looks to the side, unwilling to say anything on the matter.

"I'd say more, but I don't think you need to hear it from me."

"Still kind of a pot calling the kettle black thing, Blake. You're not exactly doing things that much differently than I am." Aoi once again frowns, though he knows any sort of protest at this stage will be weak coming from him.

To his credit, the forgemaster simply smiles. "But those little differences are still a step ahead of where you're at."

Aoi simply groans as he gates himself out, knowing that he can't really counter that point as well as he'd like.

The eldest daughter shakes her head in response. "You're not exactly working with your partner at all, either."

"Tiffania's a completely different person from Louise. She doesn't really feel that she has much to prove and unless she's been lying to me about it to spare my feelings, she's been quite happy here." Blake responds, although he keeps his tone calm. "Plus, you've seen her and how she behaves. She's an absolute marshmallow of a person. I'm keeping her out of our affairs for much the same reason you'd rather keep Louise out of the reach of the church."

"There's a difference between my keeping Louise away from those who would take advantage of her, and you purposely benching Tiffania because you don't think she can handle it. Everything you've said to Aoi more or less applies to you as well, and you've _long_ since hit the point where you can't handle everything by yourselves." Eleanor crosses her arms and assumes a critical tone. "Though I do understand why you feel the way you do. In the end, I suppose our motivations are similar enough, but it's still no excuse."

"That being said, we will be revisiting this topic later, but for the time being we should head back already."

The serpent then gates them both out.

-

Louise sits on a beach chair in a swimsuit, looking out at the ocean and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. The nearly crystal clear water laps at the shore and makes for a picturesque scene that simply cannot be found in Halkeginia... or at least nowhere the youngest daughter can think of. Perhaps Romalia's southern shores might come close, but even then it would naturally not be a perfect fit.

Still, as much as she'd like to be able to kick back and just relax, there's a few things that have been bothering her lately, and most of them have to do with her partner. In fact, she's fairly certain that a swimsuit isn't even appropriate attire for what she's about to do, but that all depends on where things go as to whether or not it turns out to be a decent choice. It doesn't help matters that she can get glimpses of Aoi's emotional states from time to time on top of everything else thanks to recent events.

"It's about time you got here." She snaps a little more harshly than she'd have liked as she spots her partner gating in.

It's telling that in turn, the dragon seems to be at a loss for words as to how to approach this.

"...I'm not going to explode you or anything." The pink-haired girl forces herself to calm back down as best she can, since as much as she might want to blow up, it wouldn't do either of them any good.

"I know, it's just... I guess I haven't been a good partner for you?" Aoi scratches his head nervously as he approaches the void mage.

"Yes and no, but that's not what I want to start with." Louise gets up off her chair and opts to lead the dragon toward a palm tree to sit under. Once they're both situated with her leaning against him, she continues somewhat shakily while blushing slightly. "F-first of all, I'd like to apologize for my... inappropriate display before. I wasn't thinking clearly and in retrospect, it's clear that you were no state for me to just up and pull such a stunt."

"I'm not gonna hold _that_ against you. I mean, Charlotte wasn't exactly thinking things through either but she kinda... Look, the whole thing was just a series of events that went a bit out of control. It's not like anyone got hurt." Aoi shrugs and tries to play it off as best he can, though his cheeks are faintly rose-tinted as well. "...For what it's worth, you were cute like that."

The youngest daughter's face flushes scarlet as she glares at her partner before hitting him over the head lightly. "Don't try to charm your way out of this!" Though her blushing does not abate, her tone shifts back down. "Honestly... I... I'm happy you think that, but it just made me realize that I'm not entirely sure _what_ I feel about you. Don't get me wrong, you've been a good friend so far and I'm proud to have someone as strong as you as my partner."

She can feel her heart race as she pulls Aoi over and pushes him down to the ground before climbing on top of him. She stares him dead in the eye and tries her best to make sure that she's the only one he can see and conceivably think about. "But it made me think about something. Everything you feared about Sheffield and Joseph are exactly what _they_ should have been fearing about _us_. Yet what did you do? You kept me on the sidelines as if I were some helpless princess!"

"T-to be fair, you kind of **were** originally." Counters the dragon as his partner makes her point and intent so painfully clear.

"...I know. However, the second I learned my first spell is the second you should have started letting me work with you." Louise points at her partner accusingly before putting her hand on his chest. "But you didn't. You kept going on and doing everything yourself for my sake." She places her free hand on her chest and puffs herself up slightly. " _I'm_ the one who defeated what was left of Joseph's armada in one fell swoop. _I'm_ the one who made those attacking elves vulnerable long enough for Blake's machines to take down. And honestly...?"

She takes a breath before continuing. "As far as I'm concerned, if you had just let me work with you this debacle with Joseph would have never gotten as bad as it did in the first place!" She repositions her hands so that they're pushing down on Aoi's shoulders. An ultimately pointless gesture, given how much stronger he is than her physically, but she knows he won't retaliate without good reason. "You should have let me jump in as your trump card, Aoi! A master and a familiar are supposed to cover each other's weaknesses and lend each other their strength! Yet you _insist_ on doing everything alone!"

Her face red with equal parts rage and embarrassment, she continues on without stopping. "Weren't you the one telling me that _I_ give your life meaning? That we'd face the future _together_?" Her voice grows louder as she continues on and gains steam. "But you keep insisting on protecting me as if I couldn't contribute! Now look at yourself! A part of you actually _died_ in that elf attack, and if you didn't have those redundancies in place, that might have ended you then and there!"

"How much more do you have to screw things up by shouldering nearly every burden alone before you're willing to admit that you need me like I need you?" The youngest daughter closes her eyes and grips her partner's shoulders harder as she tries to stop herself from blowing up completely. Her shuddering breath lightens, but not completely. "Aoi, I realize that I never bothered to explain what our relationship was supposed to be, and I know that by not telling you what I expect of you that I'm also responsible for some of this. I also know that you have your own ideas about how this all works, so..."

She forces herself to calm down more before asking her question. "Aoi, what does our relationship as master and servant mean to you, exactly?"

Aoi puts his hands on Louise's sides and coaxes her down, then holds her comfortably tight as she lays atop him. "That the servant is the one meant to do the fighting, while the master is supposed to stay safely out of the way. Louise, you know how strong I am and how strong Sheffield or the elves are. The reason I kept you away from all of that is because all it would take is me not paying attention once, or one of them getting the idea to target you once, and next thing I'd know you'd just be a smear on the floor. I didn't even want to risk the possibility."

"Stupid part is that Gatekeeper figured out how to utilize your skills more safely than I ever could. I mean, you are right, I _should_ have been letting you help me, and I have the means to do it safely. It just never occurred to me because you..." He seems to struggle to find the right words to explain it. "You're so much more fragile than I am. Losing that sub-core isn't even that big of a deal. Bidashal may as well have only succeeded in giving me a haircut. I can make another one to replace it. If you get impaled, though? You'd have minutes, maybe seconds, maybe not even that for me to get you to someone who could heal you."

Louise shifts herself so she can look at her partner again. "But you'd be able to do for me what you did for Charlotte if I did die, right?"

The construct looks distinctly uncomfortable at the very prospect, but eventually answers. "I could, but I don't want to have to do that because I have no idea if I could even get it right in the first place. A human brain is mind-bogglingly complex and delicate, and if I screwed up at any point the end result could easily be something other than you. I'm not even sure I got Charlotte right."

The pink-haired girl goes silent for a few minutes.

She then pushes herself up slightly to look her partner in the eyes. "Aoi, from now on, if there's something that we could end or nip in the bud that you couldn't alone, I want you to ask me for help. I know... I know you're scared of Void magic being used on you too, but if I could help you prevent another Joseph fiasco, I want you to call on me."

"...I'll try to keep that in mind from now on." Replies the dragon.

"Good. Now, there's one more thing I want to ask about." The youngest daughter feels herself blushing lightly again.

Aoi cocks his head to the side in confusion.

"Who do you want to end up with?" Louise feels her heart race again as she blurts that question out. "And none of this 'just being friends' nonsense. It's clear that Charlotte and I can get a reaction out of you if we try, and Blake appears to be in love with my big sister, so clearly you must be the same."

"I haven't really thought about that, to be honest. We're not even remotely done with what we've set out to do, so I figured it was premature to... ah... indulge in biological reproductive behavior." The dragon doesn't seem completely sure about this new topic that just came up.

"I-I DON'T MEAN THAT! No, I do mean that too but I mean _who are you in love with, you moron_!" Louise manages to flip through several emotions in rapid succession before landing squarely on 'anger.' "I..! Ugh, I know it's kind of a jerk thing to just drop on you like this, but you're the kind of hopeless dunce who'll just create problems for himself because he doesn't get it."

"So... between you, Charlotte, and Henrietta, you're asking who I'd take on as a mate?" The dragon scratches his cheek in thought.

" _Yes!_ " The pink-haired girl sounds rather exasperated as her partner finally gets on the same page.

"I thought you said you weren't sure what you feel about me?" The dragon asks quizzically.

"I don't, no, but that doesn't mean I can't fall in love with you proper!" Louise's eye twitches slightly as she continues to make progress somewhat.

"Well... I kinda don't have that kind of interest in anyone at the moment." Admits Aoi after a moment or two.

"What." While she can't say she didn't expect this kind of answer, the youngest daughter is none the less annoyed to hear it. She narrows her eyes in response. "I find _that_ hard to believe, given how much you flirt with people you seem to like."

"I can compliment people, can't I?" Asks the dragon, who seems to be truly lost at this point.

"You called Henrietta a 'priceless treasure' and just complimented me on my... ah.. 'display.'" As flustered as the pink-haired girl is, she seems to be struggling whether she should be explaining herself or strangling Aoi for being such an idiot.

"It's true, though." States the dragon.

For a few more moments, the only thing that can be heard is the sound of the waves lapping at the shore, and seagull-like birds calling overhead. Some even appear to be hunting for fish.

"Plus, I thought you and Henrietta were a couple, and I didn't want to intrude on that." Notes the construct.

Louise makes a strangled sound in her throat as she tries to comprehend what her partner just implied.

"I mean, she likes being really touchy-feely with you and it's clear that she hates being away from you for too long."

"W-we're just close friends! Just because Henrietta greets me with her breasts and I don't mind it doesn't mean we're a thing!" Louise props herself up and looks like she's close to just shutting down from sheer embarrassment. "What even gave you that idea to begin with?!"

"Previous conversations and interactions between the two of you, and Cattleya bringing up the topic of getting the two of you married?"

"Cattleya just has a weird sense of humor. I don't think she really completely means what she says half the time." Louise deflates slightly and sounds grumpy as she responds. "...Maybe I should just lock the two of you in a room together and see if that does anything to make you connect with her."

"That's out of left field." Aoi raises an eyebrow at the topic. "Why are you so adamant about this?"

"Because I get the feeling you're going to make yourself unhappy when you realize that you have multiple women who may have an interest in you and they don't want to share." The youngest daughter taps her partner on the head to make her point.

"...If it comes to that, I can just make copies of myself." States the dragon matter-of-factly.

"Well maybe they wouldn't want to share the copies either!" Shouts Louise even as she notes that yes, he would view that as a perfectly acceptable approach. She then groans and rubs her forehead. "You're like some obtuse idiot who just keeps wandering around monster dens without realizing how much danger you're in."

She then shifts herself off of Aoi, grabs him by the hand, and starts dragging him along. Since he's supporting himself via magic, she can accomplish this relatively easily. "Where are we going?"

"To go see if I can't help you deal with your cavalier attitude toward women!" Louise sounds rather annoyed.

"In your swimsuit?" Asks the dragon.

"I don't think the people I have in mind will care."

=-=


	80. Addressing a Bad Habit

=-=

Of all the people Louise could have conceivably dragged Aoi to for the sake of making her partner get his act together in regards to women, Cattleya is ultimately the prime candidate as far as the pinkette is concerned. Henrietta's versed in politics, but woefully underdeveloped in terms of romance, Charlotte is right out given her circumstances, Kirche is a big fat no, and Eleanor... The Void mage simply shakes her head at the mere idea. Blake has made her oldest sister grow as a person in that department, and she may have enough insight to help, the fact of the matter is that she feels as though Eleanor's solutions would all be markedly too violent.

"Big sister, are you in here?" Louise knocks on a bungalow door that faces the ocean.

"Louise? Oh my, what in the world are you up to?" The middle sister opens the door and seems rather surprised by the fact that her little sister is dragging her summon around like a stuffed toy.

The Void mage jabs her thumb at Aoi, who in turn simply waves hello as if this were perfectly normal. "Just trying to get this idiot sorted out before he digs himself an even bigger hole."

"She seems to think I need to take treating women nicely more seriously than I do." The dragon crosses his arms and cocks his head to the side.

"...I am flattered that you came to me first, but Louise, I do not have much more experience with this kind of thing than you do." The middle daughter stands aside and allows her sister entry before sitting on her bed. She is soon joined by her younger sister, and Aoi opts to get up and lean against the wall. "Still, what do you mean by that, Aoi? Treating women nicely does not sound like a problem."

"Charlotte definitely has feelings for him, and Henrietta..." The void mage trails off as she tries to figure out how to phrase things. "She seems to be relying on Aoi more than anyone else of late. Then there's him saying things like-"

"Ah..." Cattleya cuts off her sister when she realizes what Louise actually means. "You mean how he readily supports those in need?"

"More specifically, those in need who have no one else. Honestly, if I didn't know you to be this guileless idiot when it comes to helping women, I'd say you were doing this all on purpose to give yourself options." Louise crosses her arms and huffs in mild annoyance. "Anyway, he has at least two women interested in him, but he's not willing to commit to either of them."

"Should he not be afforded his freedom in this? I cannot imagine that doing so would cause true harm." The middle sister looks to her younger, who is currently leaning against her. She then taps her cheek with her index finger in thought. "Should Charlotte not be included in this conversation as well? She _is_ one of the young women interested in him in that way."

Aoi speaks up next before Louise can get a word in. "Well, Louise and Charlotte kinda have a rivalry going with each other over who actually... uh..." He trails off for a moment before looking to his partner. "What _are_ you two even arguing about anymore?"

" **You**!" Shouts the pinkette in response, causing Cattleya to wince and rub her ear. "This is exactly what I'm talking about, you're just oblivious to the effects you have on others, and you won't take responsibility for what you start!"

"And the two of you argue over how best to handle Aoi in your spare time, I assume." The middle sister adjusts her posture slightly to make herself more comfortable. "I'm not sure I can help you with what you wish for me to help you with." She then looks to the dragon, who in turn looks a little uncomfortable. "I think I can safely assume that you are uncomfortable with the idea of choosing any one person over another."

"Can't really argue with that. I mean, I'm straight-up going to outlive pretty much any unmodified human currently alive." Aoi gestures with his hand on a point that he feels is obvious. "I mean, it's kinda cliche but I'm going to watch most everyone I know grow old and eventually die, and I... I'm kind of afraid of getting any closer to anyone than I already am. Honestly, I don't know what Blake's even thinking, getting romantically involved with Eleanor. He's just as uncomfortable with the topic as I am and he handles loss worse than I do."

"O-oh..." Louise flushes slightly as Aoi provides his reasoning, as the thought genuinely hadn't occurred to her. Still, it doesn't take her long to pick up on an inconsistency, and she glares at the dragon as she calls him on it. "Wait, you didn't exactly answer big sister. You're saying you can't settle on any one woman and feel as though you can flirt with all of them because you'll outlive all of them? What kind of justification is that?!"

"I didn't say _that_." Aoi's expression sours at the accusation. "I mess with the people I consider my friends, there's no greater meaning to be gleaned from that."

Cattleya puts a hand to her mouth and laughs, and speaks with a dignified amusement. "My, my, you just bully those you like, hm? How cruel."

"A little." The dragon looks to the side and rolls his eyes.

Louise looks positively incredulous as something clicks in her head, and her eye twitches as things start to add up. "Those two subjects are completely unrelated to you. You're just the _worst_ sometimes, you do know this, right?" As tempted as she is to whip out her wand and deal some much-needed 'corrections' to her partner's mentality, she refrains since she knows full well that she could easily hurt him far worse than she could ever purposely intend. As annoyed as she is, Aoi's complete lack of consideration is nothing to kill him over. "If that's your idea of handling female _friends_ , I almost don't want to see what you'd be like for an actual _lover_."

"Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't mind having such an indiscreet lover if it that mentality were reserved for me alone." Cattleya's tone and mannerisms are gentle as she assumes the role of mediator once again.

Louise stares at her older sister with a look that could best be described as a non-verbal 'you have _got_ to be shitting me right now.'

She hops off the bed and walks off toward the door, which causes her sister to call out to her. "...Louise?"

"I can't deal with Aoi being a clueless idiot right now, and I can't deal with you _encouraging_ him!" The pinkette's expression is nothing short of annoyed as she crosses her arms and taps a finger against her arm just to sort out a borderline nervous twitch. "I'm trying to get him to stop fooling around and get serious before he digs himself into too deep a hole, not nudge him in the direction of forming a harem that's incompatible with itself!"

"You..." She points at her partner and practically growls as much as a human can. "Don't you get it?! Charlotte, Henrietta, and I... you've made all three of us feel special, gotten all our attention by going out of your way for us as you have! By the founder, watching you is like watching a womanizing version of my oldest sister!"

"Oh my." Cattleya's eyebrows shoot up. "Mr. Aoi is _nothing_ like Eleanor. Big sister has the unfortunate habit of pushing those she loves away without even meaning to with an abrasive attitude and violence."

"And Aoi _attracts_ those he cares about without even meaning to with concern and love!" Louise chokes slightly as she stops herself from snapping at her big sister, but recovers quickly enough. "Okay, so he's like the opposite of Eleanor, but it's the same clueless, oblivious principle behind it!" She wipes her mouth with her hand just to make sure that she hasn't coughed up any spit in an unseemly manner before continuing. "Before you ask, I'm pushing for this because you need someone to balance you out, Aoi! You... you're too hopeless for your own good, and too hopeless for me to even think about leaving you to your own devices!"

"I kinda thought you were balancing me out." Aoi scratches his head nervously as he speaks, as if unsure as to whether or not he even should.

"Obviously not!" Louise snaps at her partner as she tries to keep her head reasonably cool. "In Brimir's name, I'm starting to think I could never do enough to keep you in check." She screws her eyes shut and forces herself to calm down, during which she realizes something. "Charlotte has to be every bit as frustrated with you given how quickly she started dumping her fantasies on you when Eleanor gave her the suggestion."

Cattleya simply looks confused, but doesn't pry into it as she might have otherwise.

Aoi in turn looks straight-up uncomfortable considering the nature of the event.

Louise starts to walk out of the bungalow, stopping when she gets to the door. "Aoi, please, just think about this a little harder. Cattleya, right now you're one of the only people I trust enough to help him with this. I don't mind if you do what you want with him, either." She then opens the door, steps out, closes it, then goes on a much-needed walk to calm herself and collect her thoughts.

=-=


	81. A Falling Out

=-=

The first order of business that day was figuring out what to do with Joseph, and that had been settled before Blake and Eleanor could even leave to respond to the threat to their base. The next thing on the itinerary happens to be to talk to the Pope about a number of magimatter samples that the Romalian Church had secured with great effort. To this end, the serpent and the wind mage are sitting across from Vittorio and Julio at a relatively modest table, and the atmosphere couldn't be much more strenuous.

Neither side ever committed to trusting each other, each for their own reasons. Things such as the Wind Stone Crisis, the Reconquista, and the Mad King Joseph have enabled both sides to set the issue aside for the sake of accomplishing a greater goal, those have been knocked aside one by one until, once again, the serpent and the pope find themselves testing the water once more.

The fact that neither side has opened the conversation in earnest is a testament to just how much each side wanted to avoid being the one to start what is no doubt going to be an ugly discussion.

"So, I hear from Eleanor that you have secured a few of Joseph's chimeric experiments?" Blake finally makes the first move after a few moments by attempting to broach the first topic of concern.

"Indeed, we have. It is disturbing to see just how far Joseph was willing to go to further his mad schemes." Vittorio attempts to move every bit as carefully as the construct sitting across from him.

"Indeed." The serpent takes a swig of coffee to give himself a moment to think. "I'll be blunt, neither I nor Aoi particularly approve of anyone other than us handling that material. It would have been wiser to simply destroy it."

"I understand. We have actually disposed of the chimeras on the grounds that it was a mercy kill. It appears that they held some shreds of various human minds upon inspection, though it appears as though they could not be reconciled in any satisfactory way." The pope, however, is mostly still as a statue beyond speaking.

"And I can safely assume that you did not dispose of all potential samples." Blake practically glares holes in the man sitting opposite him.

"No, we have not. I would hope that you understand that this is perhaps the greatest gift we could have received. The threat of the elves still looms, and with us lacking two Void mages, we humans need every advantage we can get." Vittorio is completely unperturbed by Blake's behavior. "You have no doubt encountered the savages yourself by now, and understand how helpless most humans are such a threat."

"I have, and have killed several by now. They are indeed formidable." As much as the serpent doesn't like to admit it, he does understand Vittorio's point at least. "I cannot, however, necessarily condone your potential methods for dealing with them. You've no doubt collected quite the dossier on Aoi and I, and fully understand precisely how much power you could potentially wield."

"It is necessary to save humanity in the absence of the Void." Vittorio speaks with an absolute conviction.

"And what happens _after_ you've saved humanity?" The serpent is no doubt just as eerie to watch at this point, as he is making no effort to breathe and appears just as still as the Pope.

"Then we assist in the reconstruction of Halkeginia and ensure its security and prosperity. Make no mistake, we have no intent of subjugating the other nations once we are done with the elves." Vittorio closes his eyes for a moment as he speaks.

"A noble pursuit, though I must question how you intend to enforce sensible use of the magimatter once your life is over." It's subtle, but Blake is cracking his cup's handle ever so slightly despite maintaining an otherwise neutral expression.

"If necessary, I will perform the necessary modifications to extend my life beyond natural limits."

Blake pauses for a minute or two while collecting his thoughts. "So you intend to convert yourself into an entity much like myself." While he would like to lay into the Pope for stating something like that so casually, he holds his tongue for the moment. As much as he would love to start this, there's no reason to make this turn uncivil for the moment.

"Ideally, I would not simply convert myself, but also the other three Void mages so as to ensure that the Void's power is never lost or hidden to us again. Far too many wielders have been thrown to the side, Blake, and I would prefer to see that it does not happen again." Even the Pope understands that he's starting to tread into dubious territory, and he hasn't missed the serpent's body language. It's clear that the only thing keeping him from attacking verbally is the presence of the Valliere's eldest daughter.

Still, Vittorio knows full well that this is a ticking time bomb waiting to blow, so he chooses to broach the topic of greatest concern to himself first. "To that end, I would like to know why you withheld information on the remaining two Void mages rather than coming forward with it."

While Blake maintains a stony disposition, Julio can tell that Eleanor is getting slightly nervous again. "I think I understand why. You fully intend to protect the youngest sister of the Valliere family on the grounds that you do not believe her ready to face her destiny."

"And what makes you think I withheld anything?" Asks the serpent neutrally.

"Aoi is in possession of the Gandalfr runes, and you, yourself, Blake, are in possession of the Lifdrasil runes." The Pope continues on instead of his partner. He continues, noting that his declaration has in fact sparked the most minuscule of responses out of the construct. "Much like how Joseph was in possession of the Founder's Incense, King Wales was in possession of the Founder's Music Box, and Princess de Tristain was in possession of the Founder's Prayer Book, I too, possess one of the four holy Void artifacts. The final one known as the Founder's Round Mirror, which has shown me aspects of the Founder Brimir's life when he was alive."

Vittorio's eyes narrow slightly as he continues. "However, the images displayed have been nothing short of... unusual at best. Sometimes it shows the Founder's life, but sometimes it shows images of someone else's life. I do not know who it is, but one thing is quite clear. Somehow, the Founder walks among us again, and he knows where the last two Void mages are."

That last line was by and far the very last card the Pope would have ever wished to play in this sort of scenario, but out of everything said so far it is the most effective in evoking a response.

The ambient temperature around the construct spikes for a moment, but settles back down before it can actually bring any real harm. "And prying into someone else's private life has given you concrete evidence of deceit?"

"Yes." Vittorio states flatly. "The Founder has seen much of you both. Though I do not have a constant means of observation via the Mirror, I have seen memories far too recent to be those of Brimir's initial time on this world."

"To that end, I will say this: If you had cooperated with us, we would not have had to resort to the measures we have. The power of the Void would have been more than enough to end the elven threat once and for all."

"And what guarantee, exactly, would I have had that you would not have turned the Void on Aoi and I next? Or those allied with us?" Blake asks tentatively.

"There would have been no need." States the Pope.

"...You lie." The serpent's eyes are alight as he sizes up the Pope. "Given how you have acted thus far, I don't believe you for a minute. Aoi and I represent some form of salvation to you, but the power we wield is easily as great as the elves, if not moreso. Beings who can end a civilization destroying crisis, who could change the framework of the land, who could sow chaos and discord without ever meaning to... Neither you, nor your papacy, nor the ruling class would have suffered us for a moment more if they had the means to end us once you got what you wanted."

"And in turn, you would much rather have nothing to do with us. I fully understand." Vittiorio's mannerisms haven't changed much, but it's clear that he's no longer forcing himself to remain completely neutral like before. "I will not deny your words, however, as they are true on some level. I would prefer to not simply trade out one threat for another, if it could be helped."

"And the only way we could be considered a non-threat is to answer to you at your beck and call, no doubt." Blake simply sends his coffee cup through a portal rather than risk breaking it.

"No, there would be no need for that, either. We would simply need to match you in some form, so as to counter your potential threat with a might that could equal it." The Pope states this simply and without malice, though that is merely what is on the surface. "Especially since you seem intent on denying Halkeginia its greatest power. You possess two of four Void mages, wish to remove the third from existence, and have secured three of the four Void artifacts. We cannot counter those that would end humanity without those tools."

"You no doubt believe that I would abuse my power if given half the chance, but what guarantee do I have that you would not do the same?"

"So, we are officially at an impasse, I would say." Blake rises from his seat, though Eleanor is hesitant to do the same.

"Indeed, we are." Replies the Pope, who does the same. "I would say that our alliance of convenience is at an end."

"Indeed." Blake's response is more solemn as he purposely pulls the wind mage back from the table a bit. "I must ask one last question, then. Would you say that we are enemies, now?"

"We are unwilling to reconcile our differences, and have antagonistic views of one another." The Pope pauses for a moment as he thinks about what it would mean for him should he say yes to that question. "I would think that we are, for now."

An awkward silence falls over the room as neither side quite knows how to respond to the other. "You do realize that I could kill you inside of a second if I so wished, yes?"

"Indeed."

"And that I could tear apart this entire church in a matter of minutes."

"Yes."

"That I could raze your entire holy city to the ground in a day, tops?"

"Unfortunately."

"And you still wish to regard me as a foe."

"You oppose us, so it is inevitable."

Blake stands in front of the table separating the two from each other, and he notes that Julio has left the room. He scowls as he considers the implications. "You wouldn't gamble on opposing me if you didn't have a card you could play already."

"Indeed." The Pope states solemnly.

A few more tense seconds pass before the serpent flips the table at the Pope and sends Eleanor through a portal in the same motion.

"Fireball!" Vittorio's voice rings out, and the table shatters in an explosion. "Fireball!" The Pope utilizes the weaponized spell failure to try and punch through the construct, but the spell is inaccurate and strikes a full foot to the left of where he intended it to go. "Fireball!" The next explosion forces the construct to actually evade it, and the Pope in turn is nearly turned into a pile of cinders by a torrent of rosewood flame.

The only thing preventing that is the reappearance of Julio himself, brandishing a wand of his own as he calls upon a barrier of wind to disperse the flames enough for the Pope to move. "I commend your proactive approach, but it won't be that easy."

"So it would seem." Blake crosses his arms and taps his foot in a seemingly innocuous gesture that quickly causes the floor to shake, then begin to collapse. " **Incinerate!** " The serpent mocks the usual spellcasting routine by pointing his finger at the Pope and launching his own fireball from it, which is promptly detonated by the Romalian leader.

Vittiorio ends up needing Julio to come save him and evacuate the room.

Rather than pursue on his own, Blake opts to use the chaos and confusion to simply gate out and begin rallying those he can together to stand with him.

=-=


End file.
